Until Somebody Loses
by Geeky BMWW Fan
Summary: Diana tries to convince Bruce that he needs love and happiness in his life, and that she is the one to bring them. He doesn't know she is aware of his secret identity, and she uses that information in her plan. Ch. 14 is up. It is finished!
1. Ante Up

I do not own these characters, nor am I making any money off of this story.

This begins right where my story It's All Fun and Games ends, but this story will eventually be longer and slightly darker. I might end up re-writing Until Somebody Loses's predecessor, so that it better fits this story.

In case you haven't read It's All Fun and Games, you basically only need to know this: Diana knows Batman is Bruce, but he doesn't know she's in on it.

In this story I am trying to answer the question: What would it take for Bruce to let himself fall in love with Diana?

As always, I appreciate reviews. Thanks!

Thank you Kipling-Nori and WildWasabi. You're very helpful and encouraging. Thanks for all your advice.

* * *

**Until Somebody Loses**

**Chapter I:**

**Ante Up**

* * *

At seven o'clock, the meeting of the Justice League began promptly with all members present and accounted for. 

Diana started the meeting off very well. She was alert and focused on all that was being said, interjecting her two cents when the time called for it. But as it began to drag on, her mind and eyes began to wander.

Diana thought about stealing a sly glance at Batman, but, knowing that he would see it, she decided to stare at him openly. She hadn't forgotten her plan to have a little fun with Batman, and right now, that meant unsettling him. Diana began to picture the face behind Batman's mask. "What a pity that he chooses to place lenses in his cowl," she inwardly lamented as she remembered his brilliant blue eyes.

When Batman didn't flinch under her scrutiny, she began to consider looking away. But then it happened.

Trying to punish her for her audacity, Batman asked, "Wonder Woman, what do you think of Superman's plan?"

Everyone turned to look at her, curious to see if she could answer. They all had seen her staring at Batman, and figured she hadn't been paying much attention to Superman. As she opened her mouth to answer, she thought she heard Flash mutter, "Busted," under his breath.

Diana smiled; she knew something the others didn't. "I agree with him completely. We should confront Luthor about his plan to enter politics, rather than waiting to see what comes of it. The direct approach is always the best course of action, Batman," Diana rattled off easily. Though it was little known, multitasking had been mastered by the Amazons long ago. Deciding she had had enough fun, Diana looked away.

She began to smirk when she noticed her teammates' looks of confusion turn into amusement, and all at Batman's expense.

"Any other questions, Batman?" Flash asked cheekily, before turning sickly pale after he received the batglare of death from the man in black.

Superman stood up, signifying that the meeting was over. "That's pretty much it. Same place, same time in two weeks." Then he left the room, shaking his head and chuckling at his teammates' peculiar behavior.

Everyone had cleared out of the conference room except Batman and Wonder Woman.

Batman walked over to the door and made sure it was locked. He knew that Flash was loitering by the entrance, even though he couldn't see him.

"I'm surprised you're still here, Batman. Usually you're the first one out the door."

"We need to talk."

"About what?"

"Your behavior last night. It was unacceptable. You know the rules."

Diana tried not to roll her eyes. "You may not have invited me, but I _was_ asked to come to Gotham. Besides, it was for charity. I left my uniform at home."

"Not that rule."

"What other rule is there?"

"No fraternizing with teammates."

She laughed, "That isn't even a rule. Batman, sometimes you are too serious."

She walked right over to him, invading his personal space. "I think you need to lighten up."

While Batman didn't share her sentiments, he and Diana were of the same mind on at least one thing: they both loved the direct approach. He pushed her against the nearest wall, moving his face dangerously close to hers. "I mean it, Diana. I'm not going to play your little game."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Even though the smile was absent from her lips, he could still see it in her eyes. He fought the urge to strangle her. Or kiss her.

"I'm glad we're agreed."

Then he turned around and stalked out of the room.

As soon as the door slid open, Flash zoomed in. "So what happened? Give me all the juicy details."

"It was nothing, Flash. Batman just asked me to be his sparring partner, that's all."

"Really? That doesn't sound like Bats."

"He didn't use those exact words, but I think the intent was there."

"You gonna take him up on his offer?"

"I'm seriously considering it."

"I try to avoid him as much as possible myself, but if you want to take on the Bat, good luck to you."

"Thanks, Flash." _I'm going to need it_.

Diana left the conference room, her mind busy going over everything that had happened. Judging by his earlier display, she knew she was getting to Bruce, and she felt a little guilty for it. She wasn't trying to be mean. Diana was playful. It wasn't in her nature to toy with a man's heart, least of all one that she valued so highly. No, she couldn't play with his heart.

But play _for_ his heart?

She didn't know how she was going to do it, but she was certain of one thing: it was going to take much more than flirtatious banter to capture Bruce.

Hera, help her. She was in for the fight of her life.


	2. His Own Worst Enemy

I do not own any of these characters, and I don't make money off of these stories.

This chapter doesn't have that much action, but if you want to understand the rest of the story, it's important that you read about their motivations and what not. Things will pick up in the next chapter though.

If Batman seems out of character, well, let me know, and I'll try to explain why I did what I did.

Thanks KN for catching my mistakes and other things. You're too cool.

Please review. Thanks!

* * *

**Until Somebody Loses **

**Chapter II: **

**His Own Worst Enemy**

* * *

Batman left the Watchtower in a foul mood. Once back in Gotham, he took to the streets in the Batmobile, prowling for criminals on whom he could vent his anger. 

For some reason, Diana's behavior had left him irritated and unsettled. While she had openly challenged him in the presence of the others before, it was for valid reasons. Today, it seemed like the only reason she did it was because she wanted to.

Since the day he had met Wonder Woman, he had taken a liking to her. Along with J'onn, she was his favorite colleague, and they worked very well together. He also considered her the best woman he had ever known—his own mother excluded. So when she developed her little crush on Batman he tolerated it, even finding it amusing and slightly flattering. But these past two days, she had gone too far. And the knowledge that he was responsible for all of it made him feel even worse.

It was obvious that her meeting with Bruce Wayne had facilitated this change in her behavior. Since she didn't know it was him, he had wanted to have a little fun with her. Maybe annoy her Amazonian sensibilities. He had assumed that Bruce Wayne would get the brush off or even a beat down for his presumption. He had never intended to kiss her, but things never went according to plan where she was involved.

Bruce smiled sardonically as he remembered what had happened. Instead of being annoyed by Wayne, she decided to model her flirtatious behavior after his. Bruce might have actually found it funny if Batman hadn't been the recipient of her attentions.

_Leave it to Bruce Wayne to ruin his best working relationship. _

That's why Batman had reacted so harshly to her behavior. He didn't usually treat her that way, but he didn't want her to get too attached. Now as he looked back on their private meeting, he doubted he got through to her. Diana was as stubborn as he was, and if he knew her like he thought he did, she had taken his response as a challenge. The way she had looked at him when he had pinned her against the wall only indicated that, as far as she was concerned, the end of their little cat-and-mouse game was nowhere in sight.

Even though it bothered him that she had taken a liking to Batman, he took some comfort that she had chosen him as her object of affection. He didn't like the idea of Diana acting this way with other men. If she could unsettle him—one of the few men who had no designs on her at all—what would her behavior do to some other guy who was actually taken in by her beauty?

Diana was perfectly capable of fighting her own battles, he knew that; but she was too trusting for her own good. Most men were scum and would take advantage of her inexperience and innocence. But Batman couldn't be the one to teach her the difference between healthy and unhealthy male and female interactions. The only couple he really admired had died when he was eight years old. Besides, relationship guru was not in Batman's job description. Even if he tried to help her, she would never welcome his advice.

Bruce sighed in frustration. He could see where this would end. If he tried to show her Batman was not what she wanted, he would lose the respect of one of the few people who actually understood him. The idea of losing her friendship and good opinion was not something he relished.

But perhaps Wayne could help them both out. The more Bruce thought about it, the more he liked the idea. Even though Wayne was supposed to be an idiot and a pig, he was allowed to be kinder to her than Batman. And Wayne didn't have to treat Diana like his usual dates. He could control the situations in which she learned about the opposite sex, and without any fear that she would actually fall for the shallow playboy. When she decided to take Wayne up on his offer for a date, as he was sure she would, he could provide her the safe environment in which to interact with men. Wonder Woman would be none the wiser of the service he was providing her, and Batman wouldn't have to ruin their relationship by alienating her.

Finally satisfied that he had come up with a decent solution, Batman parked his ride and exited it.

_Suddenly this night just got a whole lot better._

"Good evening, gentlemen."

While criminals always found the sight of Batman's usual grimace terrifying, the smile with which the Dark Knight greeted them that night nearly made them wet their pants. They quickly turned tail and ran for their lives.

With a spring in his step, Batman followed them into the night.

* * *

Back in the safety of her own quarters, and armed with two purple pens, a pad of paper, and an iced mocha, Diana knew it was time to begin. 

She grabbed her laptop, and typed "Bruce Wayne" into the Google search engine. She counted on Batman finding out about her little research, so she was thankful that she had already met his daytime identity. It made things look less suspicious.

She clicked on the first link on the page. According to the article on Wikipedia, he hailed from Gotham, was a notorious womanizer, and was the head of a multi-billion dollar organization.

So far, she hadn't learned anything new. The information only served to confirm her earlier suspicions: Bruce Wayne was a complete and utter fake.

As she surveyed the article, she noticed that none of his personal relationships lasted longer than three months, while most of them lasted no more than a date or two. _Just enough time to look like a playboy, but not enough time to seriously commit to a woman. _Diana let out a sigh of relief, but quickly chastened herself for being selfish. _How many times has he had to sacrifice himself to Bruce Wayne _and_ Batman? _

In a more sober spirit, she read the next paragraph aloud:

"Though the head of Wayne Enterprises, it is widely known that his leadership is in name only. Wayne makes no secret of this, and has even gone on record as saying that he cares very little for the company so long as it continues to finance his private activities, which according to many reports consist of dating supermodels, purchasing vacation houses all over the globe, dining at the finest restaurants, and indulging in extreme sports. He has topped Forbes' List of Worst Business Owners for the last three years."

No less than three paragraphs later, Diana read about how much money Wayne Enterprises had earned under his leadership and the sizable list of degrees he had received from various reputable institutions of higher learning. The irony was not lost on her.

As she continued reading, her heart grew sadder and sadder, while her admiration of Bruce grew exponentially. As she read about how he had witnessed the gruesome deaths of his parents, she felt sure she had discovered the origins of both Bruce Wayne and Batman. And though she wasn't quite as certain, she felt she understood why he had denied himself so much in the guise of those two personas.

A large part, she knew, was the mission. But she suspected that an even greater part of it stemmed from the guilt he must have felt for surviving that night. She could picture the eight year old boy grappling with questions of why he got to live, but his parents didn't. She sensed that he had yet to convince himself that the right lives had been taken that night, and that thought broke her heart.

As she considered Bruce in this new light, she wondered just how much of how he viewed himself was dictated by his feelings of guilt. _Does Bruce punish himself by being Batman and Bruce Wayne? Does he value himself so little that he only allows himself to experience life through those two? _

She could come up with no other reason for why he seemingly worked so hard to sabotage nearly every professional and personal relationship he had. He had such a caring heart, but he pushed everyone away, thinking that he would hurt them, just like his parents. She knew it was ridiculous, but she doubted that Bruce saw it the same way. At least there was some hope; his inability to completely sever all ties with the people in his life convinced her that he wanted something more.

It amazed her that such a man—one who possessed nearly every social, economical, physical, and mental grace—could view himself so lowly. In her mind, he was the most honorable and intelligent man in the world. Having spent time with Batman and Wayne, Diana could see all the good qualities that Bruce possessed, though they seemed split between the two. And while the two men appealed to different parts of her, she believed that if Bruce would let her, she could grow to love him with her whole heart. She just had to show him that he deserved the chance at happiness and, possibly, love.

If there was any question in her mind whether or not pursuing him was worth the risk, it had disappeared long ago. She knew that Batman had raised the stakes, which made the danger greater to her. If she lost, she could lose his trust, incur his wrath, and get her heart torn to shreds. Suddenly, her throat felt very dry and she found it difficult to swallow.

But as she considered the prize—Bruce's heart—she realized that she was willing to risk nearly anything for that. She wanted to be the woman that would bring him happiness—to show him that he didn't exist solely to avenge the death of his parents, but that he deserved to live and to be loved fully.

Now all she had to do was write the rules.

* * *

To Be Continued

* * *

I was looking this story over and realized that there is a slight departure from Fun and Games. In that story, Bruce invited Diana to get more information on her. According to this chapter, he did it to play with her. I'm just too lazy to go back and fix Fun and Games. 


	3. Rules to Live and Date by

This chapter starts off a little slowly, but hang in there. There is definite interaction between our favorite hero and heroine, and from here on out, it's pretty much all them, all the time. With brief cameos from the important people in their lives, naturally.

And I know Diana's outfits might not be that interesting to everyone, but she's almost like a very tall, Amazonian Barbie. And while I'm not a fashion maven, I like to play dress up as much as the next girl. If you can't picture the dress, I based her outfit on what Keira Knightley wore to the British premier of Pride and Prejudice. You can type in the actress's name and the word purple and do a google image search, and it will be one of the first pictures that comes up.

Thanks KN. Speaking of rules to date by, check out her Rules of Engagement, if you haven't already. Looks like it's going to be a real firecracker!

* * *

**Until Somebody Loses**

**Chapter III:**

**Rules to Live (and Date) By**

* * *

As Diana lay on her bed, mulling over her plan, it became increasingly clear that she needed to set some guidelines. Diana was certain that Bruce was physically attracted to her and that she had his respect as a colleague. Her heart told her that there was more, but her mind would not allow her to base her actions solely on woman's intuition. 

In their previous meeting, Diana had flirted openly and audaciously with Wayne, and the talk escalated into two fun little kisses for the princess—first with billionaire and then with the Bat. While feelings of curiosity dominated the majority of both experiences, Diana recognized that there was a little something else lying just beneath the surface. And though she suspected it was something lovely and exciting, she knew there was an element of danger there too.

She also realized that it would be foolish to ignore the possibility that all her work might come to naught. There would have to be sacrifices, naturally, but she planned, as far as it was within her power, to come out of this battle with her heart in tact.

Taking the pad of paper and one of her purple pens, Diana started to make the guidelines she would use to ensure the best and safest outcome:

**1. NO SEX**

She underlined this rule three times for emphasis. It seemed extremely far-fetched that Bruce was really as dissipated as the media portrayed him, but she would proceed with caution. Having grown up on an island of women, Diana knew very little of men, and though she was convinced that they weren't as evil as she had been led to believe, she couldn't overlook the testimony of her sisters and mother. She would just need to temper it with her experiences in Man's World.

It wasn't that Diana wasn't curious or that she didn't want to have sex. Eventually. She knew that she was at a disadvantage when it came to this particular subject. She also did not want to become another one of Batman's or Bruce Wayne's trysts. She wanted to be his girlfriend, and potentially more. That meant moving slowly.

And if he decided to be with her, she wanted his choice to be made freely, not because he felt guilty for sleeping with her. Besides, if he were to reject her after she had entrusted him with her heart and body, she could grow to hate him for using her. And she wouldn't put it past him to hate himself because he had been too weak to say no.

It also helped that the novelty of handholding, flirting, and kissing hadn't worn off either.

**2. Hot and Cold.**

She'd engage the mind of the playboy, and mess with Batman's feelings by flirting wildly with him. If everything went according to plan, Bruce Wayne would wonder what was so great about Batman that Diana would keep chasing after him even after all of his rebuffs, and Batman would try to determine how she could value Bruce Wayne when she was getting nothing monetary or physical out of the relationship.

In making this rule, Diana had a two-fold plan. Firstly, she wanted to draw the real Bruce out, the man who had divided himself into those two masked men. He lived a very compartmentalized life, and her goal was to tear down those barriers, by bringing out Batman while he was with her as Bruce Wayne, and vice versa.

Secondly, she needed Bruce to see that he deserved to be happy, and she would accomplish that by forcing him to confront his feelings of unworthiness. She thought it could be best accomplished by pitting Bruce Wayne and Batman against each other.

Hopefully, with her help, Bruce would begin to see himself as the great guy Diana knew he was.

**3. Three Dates Only**

If between those dates and the missions she planned on having with Bruce nothing occurred, she would stop pursuing him. She lived happily without him before, and she would live happily without him after…if she had to. Sure, it would hurt for a while, but it wasn't healthy to pine for a man who couldn't commit. If he wanted to be with her after those three dates were up, he would have to pursue her.

**4. No Secrets…Eventually**

Whether she won or lost, she felt she owed it to Bruce to let him know that she was in on his secret. And part of her just wanted him to know that she knew. Maybe she could become his confidante and help him in a different way. She highly doubted he would allow that, but she wanted him to have that option.

When Diana was finished, she tore the list to shreds, and then flushed it down the toilet. She had seen too many plans foiled simply because of the carelessness of its maker. With all the prying eyes on the Watchtower, she wouldn't put it past someone to discover her little scheme. All she needed was for Flash or, even worse, Bruce to get a hold of it.

Tired from all her work, she decided to sleep. She could wait till tomorrow to pick out the outfit she would wear when she asked Bruce on a date.

* * *

Early in the afternoon of the next day, Diana opened her closet and looked over her wardrobe. Though few knew it, she had received many beautiful clothes and accessories from various designers who wanted the notoriety that came with outfitting Wonder Woman. She actually had a whole closet full of outfits that she had been looking forward to wearing. And now that she was given the opportunity, she would not let it go to waste. 

She had categorized the clothes by color, following the order of the rainbow. And within each hue, they were arranged by amount of material: sleeveless shirts, long-sleeved shirts, sweaters, skirts, then dresses. The coats were placed at the end of the closet, no matter what shade they were.

Today felt like a purple day. She moved to the right side of her closet and pulled out a dress made of diaphanous material, though it wasn't transparent. The deep violet cloth had been fashioned into a sleeveless dress, whose neck and back formed a deep V. The collar was outlined in the front and back with gold beading, which also encircled the narrowest part of her waist. She pulled it on and twisted in front of the mirror, watching as the material swirled around the tops of her knees. Perhaps it was a little too dressy for the day, and not much coverage for the cold winter weather, but she felt pretty, and that was all that mattered to her.

She decided to curl her hair and was thankful that it actually turned out well. She even went so far as to part her hair along the side instead of straight down the middle, as she normally did. The loose waves of her hair covered her back, which was left exposed by the cut of the dress. She paired it with a gold clutch and open-toed heels, and put on a white overcoat that was long enough to cover her outfit.

Walking down the hallways, she managed to make it unnoticed until she entered the transporter room. And there was the very person she was hoping to see, talking with Superman.

Clark had grown used to seeing Diana in her star-spangled outfit, so when she stepped out wearing the fancy button-downed coat and new hairstyle, he couldn't hide his shock. He looked over at Bruce to see his reaction, but the man was as stone-faced as ever.

Having been raised by Ma Kent to notice even the smallest of changes in a woman's appearance, Clark made sure to express his compliments. "Wow, Diana, you look great."

"Thank you, Superman." She turned her blues eyes on the man dressed in black. "What do you think, Batman?"

When he didn't answer, Superman stepped in to play diplomat. "I'm sure he thinks you look wonderful too. He's just shy."

Diana and Superman couldn't help laughing at the way Batman stiffened at Clark's joke.

Deciding it was time to change the subject, Bruce noted, "I see you're taking the day off."

Diana raised her chin in defiance as she announced her plans. "I'm going to Gotham."

Clark's eyes widened in mock horror. "And risk the wrath of Batman? You must have some pretty important business."

"Not business, Kal. Just pleasure. I'm going to see Bruce Wayne. I'll see you later, Batman." And with that she stepped onto the platform and disappeared.

Superman turned to his friend, letting out a low whistle. "Looks like someone has an admirer."

Batman shook his head. "They ran into each other at some charity ball. I have no idea what she sees in him."

"C'mon, Batman. He's handsome, charming, rich, witty, and funny. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see why Diana would be interested."

"Sounds like you have a little crush on him yourself."

Superman chuckled. "I see the paranoia is reasserting itself again."

"And how is Lois?"

Having become accustomed to Batman dropping Ms. Lane's name every time Clark brought up Bruce's paranoia or love life, Superman handled the question deftly. "She's doing great. I'm actually taking her to dinner tonight. Do you have any recommendations?"

Bruce had some recommendations alright. But before he could tell Clark just exactly where he could go, he was interrupted. "Don't you have an appointment to get ready for?"

No longer able to delay the inevitable, Batman stepped onto the transporter.

* * *

Knowing that she had a head start, Diana loitered in the lobby bathroom for a while before slowly making her way through the large corporate building. 

When the elevator opened, she stepped out and walked over to the secretary who was manning the desk in front of the very large double doors that sealed his office. The lady didn't even look up when Diana asked to see Bruce.

"You'll need to make an appointment, ma'am."

"I'm sure he won't mind the interruption."

_Stupid supermodel! _Dealing with the jilted exes of her boss was the most hated part of Carol's job. She looked over the top of her reading glasses, and in a voice laced with ire, prepared to give the brazen hussy a little lesson in office decorum.

"Ma'am, I will not…"

When she realized that she was giving orders to Wonder Woman, Carol's eyes became nearly as wide as her opened mouth. She took off her glasses, letting them hang from the metal chain around her neck. Standing up, she smoothed out any wrinkles on her person and only then addressed the Princess of Themyscira.

"I'm sorry, Wonder Woman. I thought you were someone else. Let me just tell Mr. Wayne you're here."

Diana smiled brilliantly at the receptionist. "Thank you."

Though her boss had a strict appointment only policy, Carol didn't care. _Let him say no to an Amazon._

The secretary quickly bustled over to the door. Without even knocking, she barged into his office. Diana stood by Carol's desk, waiting to be announced.

"Excuse me, Mr. Wayne, but Wonder Woman is here to see you." Carol saw a devious smile come over her boss's lips, and sent up a silent prayer to God to protect the virtue of Wonder Woman.

"Thank you, Carol. Send her in." Bruce stood up from his desk and walked the short distance to one of the many wall-length windows that encompassed his office. He wanted to make sure she couldn't see his face when she came in.

"Hello, Bruce." He slowly turned around, but she had been walking towards him, so that now she was less than a foot away, staring down at the streets of Gotham. _So much for maintaining distance._

Bruce leisurely took in her appearance, smiling appreciatively at her winter ensemble. Before things got too uncomfortable, he broke the silence.

"Let me help you with your coat." He moved behind her, and when she had finished unbuttoning the front, he slid the white shell off her shoulders. He had been expecting a black dress, or maybe a white sweater paired with a black skirt, so when he saw the violet confection she was wearing and the creamy plane of her back, he felt his jaw go slack.

Being Bruce Wayne, he couldn't help but run his fingers over her exposed shoulders and arms as he removed the coat. He saw the hairs on her arms rise and felt her repress a small shiver. With the coat finally removed, he placed it on top of his desk.

He stood directly behind her, not quite touching, but close enough for Diana to feel him. He spoke to her over her shoulder, "Now that that's out of the way, what brings you to Gotham?"

From up here, Diana could barely make out any people below, but she tried to steady her mind, concentrating on the patterns of the weaving traffic. It was quite interesting.

Perhaps too interesting.

Bruce cleared his throat when she hadn't answered him. "Diana?"

Realizing her faux pas, Diana blurted out, "I wanted to see you, and I was hoping that you would ask me on a date again."

Perhaps she needed to work a little on her delivery, but Bruce doubted any man would really object to her methods.

When he didn't say anything to her right away, she turned around and nervously met his scrutinizing gaze. He took a step back, and his head tilted to the side as her image fell on his eyes.

Her cheeks were slightly pink. No surprise as she had come in from the cold and as she was probably embarrassed. His eyes traveled down lower as he inspected her. Her dress was probably cut a little too low. If he had dressed her, she would be wearing a turtle neck.

He loosened the tie around his neck and plastered a confident grin on his face. "Couldn't get enough of me the first time?"

"Something like that." Diana started to play nervously with her hair. Acting on playboy auto-pilot, Bruce stilled her hand and tucked the strands behind her ear. He had never seen her nervous before, but he found it cute. Remembering that he was trying to help her, he decided to put her out of her suspense.

"I've dated supermodels before, but never a superhero that looked like one. This could be exciting."

That seemed to calm her down. She looked straight at him, and in a no-nonsense voice answered, "I can assure you, it will be. And you'll be my first date, so we'll be even."

Diana thought she saw a little surprise register in his eyes, but it was gone in a second. _Had she shared too much information?_

"So, Diana of Themyscira, where do you want me to take you?"

Her face lit up at his invitation, and he found that he liked being the reason for her smile.

"I would like to go to dinner with you tonight."

"Does 7:00 work for you?"

"Yes."

"There's this restaurant that just opened around the block. Do I need to pick you up?"

"No, I think I can find my way."

"In that case, I'll see you there tonight."

"I look forward to it." She was about to leave, when Bruce took her hand and tucked it into his arm. When she looked questioningly at him, he had to remind himself that she knew absolutely nothing of the customs here. "Let me escort you to the elevator."

"Alright."

He grabbed her coat, and they walked toward the elevators, passing the still unsettled Carol along the way. When they finally reached the lift, Bruce pushed the down button then turned to face his future date. "I didn't get the chance to say this before, but you look lovely."

"Thank you, Bruce. I'm glad you noticed."

"It would be hard not to." Bruce helped her back into the coat and buttoned her up himself. _She really doesn't need to be seen coming out of my office like that. _

A bell dinged, announcing the lift's arrival. Before the doors opened, Bruce leaned in to give her a soft peck on the cheek. "Tonight at 7:00."

"Goodbye." She gave him one last smile that lasted until the elevator doors concealed her face.

He waited until the lights above the elevator doors indicated that she had descended five floors before walking back to his office suite, whistling along the way.

As he passed by his secretary, he leaned on the long-suffering woman's desk and flashed her a toothy grin. "Carol, be a dear and cancel the rest of my appointments for today. Just reschedule them for tomorrow. You can tell them that I was busy with Wonder Woman and couldn't make it."

The older lady was shocked that Wonder Woman would say "yes" to this lout, but managed to get out, "Yes, Mr. Wayne" before he disappeared behind closed doors.

Once back in the safety of his office, Bruce sat down in his chair, wondering what he had gotten himself in to. He anticipated that he was in for a night of surprises, but he knew that he could expect at least one thing: Diana was going to look great.


	4. Set Your Sights

I don't own the characters, and I don't make money off of them.

As for what Diana is stepping out in tonight. I was drawing from some dresses Reese Witherspoon wore to the Oscars in recent years. One was black, the other blue. And also some Keira Knightley dress that she wore to the Oscars too. I think it was burgundy. Anyway!

So this is the first part of their first date.

And thanks KN-extraordinaire. For the menu ideas and other things! I have no idea what they are eating, but doesn't it sound so smart and refined? And I know it's some kind of steak, so yummy! This Diana is not a vegetarian.

As always, please review. Thanks!

* * *

**Until Somebody Loses**

**Chapter IV: **

**Set Your Sights**

* * *

At 6:59, Diana walked into the restaurant and was immediately greeted by a skinny, tuxedo clad man. She noted the thin mustache that rimmed his upper lip as he reached for her arm and uttered in a cultivated tone, "Mr. Wayne is awaiting your arrival, Wonder Woman." 

As the host led her to the back of the restaurant, Diana thanked her goddesses that she had dressed appropriately. All the male patrons were wearing costly looking suits or tuxedos, and all the women looked equally, if not more, expensive.

Diana herself was wearing a simple navy evening gown, so dark that it almost looked black depending on the lighting. It was column shaped, and from the front it had a relatively high neckline. It wasn't strapless, as the material gathered and wrapped over one of her shoulders, where it continued until it met the material at the lowest part of her back. It was one of her favorites. The neckline accentuated her graceful neck and shoulders, as did the necklace and earrings she wore. Her hair was pulled back elegantly in a loose twist, and she received many admiring glances as she walked through the restaurant.

Bruce saw her when she was about thirty feet away.

She was too beautiful, and he was too smart not to see that he was playing with fire. Even though he was doing this as a favor to her, he still planned on keeping her at a distance, as he had no intention of burning Diana or himself. He wanted her time with Wayne to be a learning experience, and if he played his cards right, they would part ways having formed no serious emotional or physical attachments.

She finally spotted Bruce looking at her when she and the greeter were about fifteen feet away from the table. He stood up and moved to her chair, pulling it out for her. Just like earlier in the day, he was surprised by her ensemble. From the front it looked perfect, though maybe a little too form-fitting. But the only material that covered her back was a narrow blue scrap of material. He could see her shoulder blades and spine, which he lazily traced with his finger. She sat bolt upright but refused to turn around to look at him.

He moved so that he was standing before her and brought her fingers to his lips. Diana, already nervous about what she was going to undertake, pulled her hand back quickly.

Bruce noticed, and couldn't stop the knowing grin from forming on his lips.

"You look spectacular."

Diana studied his face and decided that the gray suit he wore brought out the light flecks of silver in his eyes most advantageously. She didn't spend much time contemplating his looks or anyone else's for that matter, but he really was the most attractive man she had ever seen. "Thank you. You look very handsome yourself."

He finally took his seat.

"I got you something." From below the table, he produced a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates. Inspired by her earlier outfit, Bruce had bought her a bouquet of purple and white blooms. Diana accepted the gifts with a pleased smile. She brought the butterfly orchids, jasmine, and lilacs to her nose. As she inhaled slowly, she closed her eyes, and Bruce watched the gentle rise and fall of her shoulders. When she opened her eyes, he had already looked away.

"These smell lovely, Bruce. I'm sorry, but I didn't bring you anything."

"You aren't supposed to. In Man's World, the men come bearing gifts." As Diana processed that little bit of information, Bruce continued to speak.

"I took the liberty of ordering our dinner, so it should be arriving shortly. I hope you don't mind."

She did.

"Oh. Do you always order for your dates?"

"Yes, and they never complain." He threw that one in, just to see her reaction.

"And what did I get?"

"Prime aged cote de boeuf with roasted baby carrots, shallots and aligot."

"I assume you will be feeding it to me as well?"

"Only if you want me to."

She walked right into that one. "That won't be necessary."

Bruce was staring at her so intently that it was making her skin itch. Reminding herself that Batman would never allow Bruce Wayne to do anything more than kiss her, she reached for her wine glass and drank generously from it. It burned going down her throat.

From her meeting with him in the office, she knew she needed to put distance between them. Every time he touched her, she felt unsettled, flustered, and giddy. It was too much to deal with while she tried to engage and outfox the mind of the most brilliant man in the world.

When she had set the glass down, Bruce took her hand and began playing with her fingers. Diana decided that she would have to act now or she would lose her nerve. Looking directly at him, she fired her opening salvo.

"If I am to date you, things will have to change. I've enjoyed our little banter, but I'm not going to be some girl on the side. I deserve more than that."

He was surprised (and a little proud) at her outburst, but he still kept caressing her hand, so she removed it, placing both of her hands in her lap.

"And we move slowly. I was not joking about the third date rule. I will only agree to keep seeing you, if you follow my rules."

"And what rules might those be?"

"You'll see."

Since Diana seemed to think she was ready to tangle with Bruce Wayne, he decided to test her. "I always took you for the dominating type. I like it."

She gave him a stern glance, and made to leave.

"No need to go, Wonder Woman. I'll ready and willing to obey."

She settled back into her seat, a smile illuminating her face. "I'm so glad to hear you say that. And you may still call me Diana."

"So, Diana, since I can't do any of the things I normally do on a date, what is that you suggest we do to entertain ourselves?"

"I was hoping to get to know you better, so I thought we would just talk."

"That doesn't sound very exciting."

"You can ask me any question you like, about anything, and I will answer, but only if you will answer the same question, and you have to answer truthfully."

He eyes grew bright as he anticipated the war of wits that was about to take place.

"And what about you?"

"I would like for the same rules to apply for me. However, if there is a question you don't want to answer, you don't have to. But you only get to do this three times."

"And why do I get a pass?"

"I have nothing to hide."

"And you think I do?"

"I've read the tabloids, Mr. Wayne."

"Then why are you here?"

She stared at him pointedly, and for a second he felt as if she were looking right through him. "I don't believe everything I read."

Refocusing on the task at hand, he said, "I will only skip a question if you do." If he didn't want to answer a question, he'd find a way of evading it without her knowing.

She raised her chin obstinately, and her eyes sparkled dangerously. "I won't."

He couldn't decide if Diana didn't need his help so much after all, or if she just needed a good lesson in humility. In any case, he decided to make tonight as difficult as possible for her, just like he would any training exercise.

"Then I won't either. But how do you know I'll be telling the truth?"

"I have this lasso…"

His eyes seemed to perk up at hearing this and he leaned in. "Keep going."

"Well, when it is wrapped around someone, they are unable to lie. They must speak the absolute truth." That was news to him.

"I really wasn't that far off about the whole dominating bit. So, if I lie, are you going to tie me up?"

"Look, Mr. Wayne. I don't know what type of woman you think I am, but the Lasso of Truth isn't a sex toy. I was only suggesting it as a way we could be sure that the other person was being honest. If you don't like it, we will just have to trust each other." Her eyes looked at him searchingly, and her voice softened as she asked him, "I can trust you, right?"

And before he could come up with some clever evasive remark, the words "I have no intention of lying to you, Diana," tumbled out of his mouth. For a brief moment, Diana thought she saw something like sincerity soften his face, but then it was disappeared behind the cavalier grin which covered his face as he spoke his next words. "At least not tonight."

"Good."

The waiter chose that instant to bring their main course. The smell of the steak nearly made her mouth water. Much to his amusement, she dug in with gusto. "This is delicious. Maybe next time I'll allow you to choose the food again."

"So you'll let me take you out a second time?"

"If you want."

"I at least need to make it to three, so I can touch you."

"That's not what I said. I did say no kissing till the third date. You may hug me if you feel so inclined at the end of this one. We can discuss hand holding on our second."

He narrowed his eyes slightly as he considered the woman across the table from him. "You aren't making this easy, are you?"

She gave him a look that could only be described as flirtatious and uttered, "I'm _not_?"

"You can't answer a question with another question, Princess."

"That's not what I was taught, and I learned from the best." She gave him a smug smile before spearing a large piece of steak and putting it into her mouth.

_So she wants to play. _

Bruce decided it was time for the inquisition to begin.

* * *

**To Be Continued **

* * *

A really long author's note... 

I know it isn't the most satisfying of endings, but the idea of writing a conversation between these two, where each of them is trying to learn about the other without giving too much away **and** get the upper hand **and** have something meaningful said between them is really daunting. I'm trying to add the finishing touches to their little inquisition in the next chapter. I don't normally do this (in fact, I've never done this), but do you guys have any suggestions for the questions? I can't promise I will use them, of if I do that you will like the answers I put in their mouths, but you never know.

**If you were Bruce or Diana, and you knew the other person had to answer any question honestly, what would you ask?**

I hope these two don't seem schizophrenic to you, but Diana is trying to be flirtatious, yet she is kind of in new territory. It might seem like she's taking steps back and forth, but that's pretty much what's happening until she feels more established and safe in his affections. It doesn't help much that he's super hot and is doing everything he can to upset the apple-cart. Bruce's idea of help and the regular human being's ideas are totally different. And he's trying to figure her out, and he keeps getting surprised. There is this constant sizing up and measuring of the opponent as they begin to look at each other differently.

* * *

Mystic Weaver- Thanks for the review. I totally know what you are talking about. Have you ever noticed in movies it is always the guy playing the trick on the girl: You've Got Mail, Shop Around the Corner, In the Good Old Summertime, Pillow Talk (My favorite!), Lover Come Back? I think the only time I've seen it reversed is Twelfth Night. I hope you liked this addition as much as the previous ones. 

Franz- This is more for your review to the Issues Story, so hopefully you see this. I plan on adding to it, but it might be a while. And thanks for the lovely review. You're so thoughtful. :) I also plan on doing a Wally babysitting Nicolas one-shot. I can imagine the hilarity and catastrophe that would ensue.


	5. The Inquisition

I don't own these characters, and I don't make money off of them.

So here it is. I don't really know how to preface this, so I'll just say, I hope you enjoy it.

As always, thank Kipling-Nori. You are the best beta I could ever wish for. Thanks for everything you do! I sent her this chapter more than once, and she's had to put up with my whinging and moaning. For that, I give you three HCs, all without arms. :-)

* * *

**Until Somebody Loses**

**Chapter V:**

**The Inquisition**

* * *

"So, Diana, what's your favorite color?" 

She blinked in surprise. "That's your first question?"

"Remember what I said about answering questions with more questions?"

"White or Purple. You?"

"Black and blue. Your turn."

"What qualities do you find attractive in the opposite sex?"

"All the ones that you possess." He gave her a dazzling smile, but Diana would not be distracted.

"And what exactly are those, Mr. Wayne?"

"You'll have to wait for your next question to find out. Now, Diana, what qualities do _you_ admire in _me_?"

"That wasn't what I asked. But seeing as how the answers to both are nearly identical, and I am extremely gracious, I'll overlook your lapse…You're charming, industrious, handsome, generous, benevolent, confident, and brilliant."

"I hate to break it to you, but you forgot to add that I'm extremely good in bed."

Diana started laughing, wishing that she could tell Bruce she knew he was Batman, if only to see the look on his face. "Now, _that_ was definitely not in my research. But enough about you; what do you like about me?"

"Well, from your previous answers, I can see you're extremely hopeful. You're assertive, uncompromising, and the most beautiful woman I have seen in my life. And though you can be a bit icy, I suspect you're a real spitfire. You just need some melting. You're strong, but in a feminine way. And lastly, your incredible naivety is very attractive."

She looked affronted, as if he had just insulted her, rather than complimented her to the skies. But no one likes others calling them on their weaknesses, even if they are aware of them themselves. "I am not _that_ naïve."

His patronizing tone contradicted everything that next came out his mouth. "Of course not, but I must not be that brilliant if you are questioning my assessment."

Her mouth opened in response, but then she shut it and smiled instead.

"So, Diana, do you have any hobbies?"

"Training, reading, watching movies. The usual. Sometimes I like to pass myself off as a normal person, and I go visit famous cities and sites. You?"

"Flying, rappelling, spelunking, driving and maintaining fast cars, buying all the latest gadgets, dating gorgeous women." He added a wink for emphasis. "And I do occasionally read."

"Enjoy living dangerously, I see."

"You could say that."

"Have you ever lost anyone you loved?"

His eyes, which had seemed open and relaxed, became so chilling that Diana nearly shivered. All the levity was gone from his voice, and in a tone bordering on accusatory, he said, "If you've done your research, you already know the answer to that question."

Letting her curiosity get the better of her, Diana probed further. "Yes, I read about your parents, but was there no one else?"

"I think two parents is enough, don't you?"

Diana watched as Bruce schooled his features into a look of absolute placidness. The pain and anger seemed to disappear from his eyes, as if someone had turned off a switch. "But that was a long time ago. What about you, _Wonder Woman_, have you lost anyone you've loved?"

Diana knew the question was coming, as she had asked it originally, but that didn't make answering it any less painful or awkward. "Not to the same extent as you, but my mother, my family, and my homeland. They are alive, but they have rejected me. It was and is a very difficult …" She turned two very sad and contrite eyes on him. "Forgive me."

"It's already forgotten." Bruce wrapped his fingers delicately around the stem of his glass, and watched the crimson liquid as it swirled within the compass of his hand.

Clearly, it wasn't.

A few seconds more and Diana would have commented on the silence, but Bruce seemed to snap out of his malaise and asked, "Who's your favorite member of the Justice League?"

Without pausing to think, Diana stated firmly, "Batman."

"Not Shayera?"

Diana's shoulders shrugged. "Just because we are both female doesn't mean she's my favorite. And don't look at me like that. Batman has a lot of great qualities; it's just that he rarely lets anyone see them. I love all my colleagues, but I respect him, and his opinion of me is the one that matters the most." Deciding to push her luck, she added, "This might seem silly, but I actually have a bit of a crush on him."

"A word to the wise, Princess, while you're out with one man, it's best not to talk about another."

"I guess it isn't, but you seem so sure of yourself, I figured you wouldn't let a little crush get in the way of what you wanted."

He considered her words before making his answer. "I suppose I could be flattered, since you chose me as your first date."

"Batman doesn't exactly do dates. But you needn't worry. I'm not in the least bit disappointed with my choice."

"Just for that, you are now my favorite Justice League member. Though anyone who wears a bathing suit into battle will always be high on my list."

"Who was it before?"

"The Martian Manhunter. He only wears a speedo and suspenders. Have you ever considered rethinking your uniform? Because it must be difficult wanting to be a spokesperson for women when no one takes you seriously."

Though his words had been said innocently enough, the words stung Diana. A small frown formed on her lips, but she tried to play it off. "It's not a bikini. It's a tasteful one piece. Or rather, it is two pieces that detach at the waist."

_No, she isn't naïve at all, _Bruce sardonically noted. He managed to cloak his sarcasm, though, when he pointed out the import of what she was saying.

"You won't let me kiss you, but you're giving me information on how to undress you?"

"I read about it in Cosmo. I think it's called 'leaving him wanting more.'" That was the last thing Bruce was expecting her to say.

He cleared his throat, trying not to laugh. "Actually, Princess, it's called being a tease."

Diana actually knew that, but she didn't want their conversation to degenerate into something completely meaningless. "Perhaps we should change the subject then. Have you ever been in love?"

She had surprised him earlier when she asked him such a personal question about his family. But now that he knew there wasn't a topic that she considered off-limits, he was better prepared to answer this one. "Once or twice; when I was younger. As you can see, it had no lasting effect. You?"

She leaned over the table, placing her chin in one of her hands. "I have never been in love."

Feigning extreme interest, Bruce moved in towards her, and uttered in a conspiratorial manner, "Not even on your island full of women? Or have you slept with any of them? I'm sure there would have been many willing candidates."

Diana drew back and looked at Bruce as if he were ridiculous. "I should hope not. I look up to them as mentors, friends, and family. And I've never thought of them in that way."

"Well, there's one fantasy out the window."

"But what about you, Mr. Wayne, have you ever slept or been in love with a male? Because I've heard that you would sleep with anything that walks. Come to think of it, they don't even have to be walking. You seem to be completely indiscriminate. Dead or alive, male or female, even inanimate objects and animals, it makes no difference to you."

"I have a lot of bitter ex-girlfriends. They would say anything for money. But here is my firm denial: I have never been in love with a man or slept with a man. Or anything else besides a woman."

"You must not leave a very good impression on the ladies, otherwise they couldn't be so easily bought. Perhaps you should rethink your methods or at the very least the women you date."

"I'm here with you, aren't I? And perhaps I should give you the same advice. Do you ever want to be in love, because dating me isn't the smartest way to go about it?"

Diana smiled at him and shook her head. "If you were really as bad as you say are, you'd be taking advantage of my 'naivety' rather than warning me off…why do you think I couldn't fall in love with you?"

"I'm beginning to think that you don't know as much about me as you think you do."

"Actually, Bruce, I have been secretly stalking you for years."

"Very funny. But you haven't answered the question: do you want to be in love?"

She paused before giving her answer. His eyes were trained on hers, and she had difficulty maintaining eye contact. "I'm not going to fall in love just for the sake of falling in love, but, yes, I think it would be…nice… to find someone to love."

Bruce kept going back and forth on his estimation of Diana. Sometimes she'd come across as an amateur; at other times like an expert. The last comment had put him back in the 'She really has no idea what she's about' camp. "And just how long have you been here in 'Man's World'?"

The condescension in his tone offended her, so she answered a bit more sharply than she wanted to. "Long enough to know what I want in a man."

"From reading Cosmo, no doubt. And do you think you've found it?"

Diana decided to ignore his rude remark. "Yes and no. But that's four questions you haven't answered."

"There are times when I wonder what it would be like to experience that again, but it would hurt my image."

She swatted playfully at his hand, but her eyes didn't look quite so happy. "You agreed to answer honestly."

He didn't even need to stop to recollect what he had previously asked her. "Realistically, I just don't see it happening. Having been alive for over thirty years, I've grown quite cynical. I doubt there is a woman that actually exists that meets all my ideals and who can adapt to my lifestyle. Forgive the pun, but it would take a real wonder woman, probably more. Did that answer all your questions?"

"No. Why do you think I couldn't fall in love with you?"

"Let's assume you're right, and I'm not what I appear to be. Have you ever considered how bad the guy underneath must be, if he chooses a vapid womanizing buffoon as his public face? I doubt even you could put up with the real Bruce Wayne."

Diana locked eyes with her dinner date, and answered, "I think you should let me be the judge of that instead of trying to figure that out for me." Though her last line was delivered in a very serious tone, she tried to lighten her voice and mood as she moved on. "So you are convinced that you can't make me happy, but do you think I could make you happy?"

"A little deep for a first date, no?"

When she kept staring at him, he cleared his throat before answering, "That remains to be seen. But you have many 'qualities' that I could enjoy… I'm sure you could make me as happy as any other woman I have dated."

"That's not saying very much, is it? And though you don't believe it, I think that, in time, you could make me very happy. But as you said earlier, it all remains to be seen, and I'm extremely hopeful."

Bruce sat there watching her for a few seconds before reaching for his drink and taking a sip of wine. He only replied after setting his glass back down. "Someone needs to be."

"It's your turn, Mr. Wayne."

"Who's your least favorite Justice League member?"

"I can't answer that."

"Nothing to hide, huh?"

"What I meant was that I like them all. I'd try to guess yours, but I doubt you come into much contact with them."

"If I had to choose one, it would be Superman. They say I have an ego, but at least I don't go around calling myself SuperBruce." His comment was accompanied by a cheeky grin.

Diana laughed. "Are you sure that it isn't because you feel threatened?"

"_Superman_ doesn't threaten me."

"Of course not." By the way Diana said it, Bruce knew she didn't believe him, but she robbed him of the opportunity to defend himself by asking, "Do you have any hidden talents?"

"None that would be appropriate to share with you. At least not until after our third date."

"I think I'm old enough to handle it."

"But you _are _a virgin?" He knew he was evading her earlier question, but he was a bit curious about this one. Though he wasn't 100 percent certain of the answer, his question came out more like a statement than a query.

Diana tried to compensate for the embarrassment she was feeling by speaking with more confidence than she had at the moment. "A virgin blessed with the gifts of Aphrodite."

"But a virgin, nonetheless." He leaned across the table and gave her a look that managed to be both arrogant and, much to her growing irritation, charming. "It's nothing to be ashamed about, Diana. A lot of men find that intriguing."

Diana was getting sick of hearing about what the majority of men thought. She only cared about one. But before she could retort something back, he kept going, "And before you ask,_ no_; I am not…What other gifts did your gods give you?"

Still riled from before and knowing this was the question whose answer he was probably most interested in, Diana decided to respond in the most general way possible. "Rather than go over every blessing I've been given, I think it would be best to just share with you the things that are less commonly known."

He looked vaguely disinterested as he said, "I'm easy."

Diana wanted to laugh. That was the last word she would have used to describe him. "I have the instincts and hunting skills of Artemis. I also heal quickly and magic doesn't affect me very much. And I'm not susceptible to mind control."

"That must come in handy."

"Not as often as you would think…I'm proficient with any weapon that has been created, and I've mastered all forms of combat. And I can communicate with animals and my presence calms wild beasts."

"There's a joke in there somewhere…Should you really be telling me all this?"

"I don't say these things to everyone. I feel like I can trust you."

Fighting down the surge of pride he felt at her words, Bruce searched desperately for another question. "Do you have any siblings?"

"About 10,000 older sisters, all of whom would warn me strenuously against dating you… I know you are an only child, but have you ever wanted a younger or older sibling?"

"It's not something I've really considered."

"Not even before…" she stopped, but he already knew what she was going to say.

"I wouldn't have minded a little brother, but it's probably best it was just me."

"I'm sorry. I spoke without thinking."

His only response to her apology was to jokingly ask who would win in a Justice League fight to the death.

Diana raised her hand in the air to indicate her answer.

"That good, huh?"

"I'm not one to brag, but..." Her voice disappeared as her grin grew wider.

"Well, I guess I'll bet on you when that day comes."

"I won't let you down, Bruce." Again, there was a pregnant pause between the two heroes. When Diana realized she was staring at Bruce, she began to tap one of her fingers on her lower lip as she formulated her next question. "Ok, what's your favorite book or story?"

"I don't read for pleasure, but when I was younger I remember enjoying _The Odyssey_ and Sherlock Holmes stories."

Diana ducked her head in mild embarrassment as she admitted, "Mine will sound typical, but I love _Pride and Prejudice_."

"Actually, I would say a typical answer for _you _would be _The Iliad_ or some Grecian plays like _Antigone_ or _The Eumenides. _So I was wrong about Cosmo. It seems Mr. Darcy is your Mr. Right." For some reason, he found that amusing.

"Actually, my 'Mr. Right' as you call him, is a mixture of a few of Jane Austen's heroes and other men. But Mr. Darcy has a lot in common with him."

"Is there any particular reason that women love him so much?"

Diana leaned forward, eager to give him her answer.

"I can't speak for all women, but I think part of it is that he wants to become a better man because of the woman he loves—Elizabeth. I think every woman wants to know that she has that kind of power over a man, though that is not my main reason. More importantly, I like him because of the way he loves Elizabeth, even though at the beginning she despises him. She's rude to him and misunderstands him half of the time, and yet he still loves her fervently. He defends her family's honor, even though he cannot respect them and it requires him to help a man who tried to ruin him. And he does it all in secret, so that she will not feel indebted to him." Diana stopped to take a breath and release an audible sigh. "The intensity of his love just leaps off of the pages. He's so honorable and misunderstood; he's such a gentleman that it's difficult for me not to like him. And then of course, he's handsome, well-spoken, passionate, and intelligent."

After delivering her long-winded speech, Diana felt a little self-conscious for getting so excited about a fictional character. But she needn't have worried; Bruce had hardly ever found her quite so charming. She eyed him ruefully, quietly stating, "It's something I've thought about a lot. Probably too much."

He was surprised that Diana had gotten so much from a book written over two hundred years ago, by a woman who, in her own time, was considered a poor, powerless spinster. He took another sip of wine, before answering. "It doesn't hurt to have standards."

To Diana, that was an invitation to continue. "Yes. It's very difficult, I think, for women in this world. They are expected to look and act certain ways to attract the attention of the opposite sex, who themselves have been trained to view women solely as sexual objects for their gratification. And what angers me even more than the men's behavior is that the women play into it by using their freedom as an excuse to throw themselves at them and act without self-control. And, though I only really know this from the television shows and movies, they rush into the physical aspect of the relationship, without even really getting to know each other first. And these quasi relationships usually end up with the women getting hurt. That's not my idea of romance."

He looked at her in her blue dress, then pictured her in the purple one from earlier today. "So, these women who throw themselves at men...do they normally walk around barely dressed and in dominatrix boots or in outfits designed to drive men crazy?"

"I know what you are insinuating. But I don't use my body or what I wear to entrap men. And I don't need their validation. I wear these things because I like the way I look in them."

He gave her an arch expression. "And if I didn't like it?"

Expecting for her to become flustered, he watched as she calmly contemplated her answer. "Well, since I like you, I might try something different. I'm not stupid, Bruce. I am aware that part of the reason I dress like this is because I want you to notice me. But again, I'm not throwing myself at you, and I'm not changing anything more important than an outfit to please you."

"So you admit that you are trying to please me?"

She raised a delicate finger in the air, in an effort to further stress her point. "Please, not manipulate. There is a difference. And I don't see what is so wrong about that. If you could, wouldn't you want to make me happy?"

"Yes."

His straightforward answer surprised and delighted her, but she continued on as if she hadn't noticed. "And if I thought I was compromising who I was, I would refuse to do it, but something as simple as an outfit doesn't seem that important."

He turned two sparkling blue eyes on her and raised his hands up in surrender. "You don't have to convince me, Princess. I'll agree with anything you say. But perhaps more women would take you seriously if you rethought your uniform and gained about forty pounds."

His "efforts" to placate her seemed to put her on the defensive again, if the two arms she crossed over her chest were any indication. "Most women are not that petty."

"I've dated more than my fair share, and they aren't nearly as magnanimous as you think they are, Princess."

"Perhaps another reason why those women were all wrong for you." Diana still couldn't let the other topic go, especially since this was the second time he had insulted her uniform. "I have no reason to be ashamed of my body or myself. My uniform is the outfit of Themyscira's champion and is similar to the tunics and armors of many ancient Greek armies. It's a part of my heritage, and I wear it with great pride."

He sat back in his chair and regarded her over steepled fingers. "Your favorite author is a woman who wrote romances in a patriarchal society. You advocate peace and harmony, but through your fists, and you admit to dressing up because you want my approval but you argue that women shouldn't use their looks to manipulate men."

Though she was afraid of the answer, she still asked the question. "Do you think I'm a hypocrite?"

"No, Diana. I think you are one of the most honest and genuine individuals I have ever met in my life."

Diana uncrossed her arms and dropped her hands gently into her lap. Her head tilted to the side as she mulled over his last words. "That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. Thank you."

They sat in silence for a few moments gazing at one another, before it occurred to Diana that Bruce hadn't told her who his ideal man was. Expecting a silly remark from him, he again surprised her with his answer.

"My father. And then Alfred, my butler."

"Would you tell me about them, please?"

"There's too much to say about them, but it basically boils down to this…one of them died and the other would die to protect me, and they have both put up with my stupidity."

"You aren't stupid…and I never said this before, but I'm very sorry that you lost your parents."

The brusque nod he gave her was all the confirmation she needed to know that he felt exactly the same way.

Not knowing how he would react to it, but unable to just sit there and do nothing, Diana reached across the table to take his hand in hers. When he looked up at her, she gave him a kind smile. "I think it's time we had some dessert. What do you think?"

"Have you ever had cheesecake?"

"No. Is it good?"

"You'll just have to see for yourself."

* * *

**  
To Be Continued**

* * *

I noticed some things that were wrong (I guess this website [they won't even let me type the stupid name here doesn't want you to use percentage signs or make smiley faces using equal signs. Jerks!), and I felt some of the stuff that was occurring around the dialog sounded choppy, so I went back and made some minor changes, hoping to make things go more smoothly. I also meant to write this the first time I posted it, but I basically wrote three to five paragraphs about why I think Diana would love Jane Austen. It was actually meant to be in the third chapter, when Diana is making up her rules, but it didn't seem to fit. I introduced Diana to Austen's works in my story A Grief Observed (the two stories she reads contain two gentlemen that some of my ideas of Bruce Wayne come from. Northanger Abbey's hero reminds me of a "less spicy" version of Mr.Wayne, while Mr. Darcy reminds me of Batman, well actually, just Bruce, but whatever.), so that's where it comes from, but if you are interested, just shoot me an e-mail, and I will send you the reasons why I think she would not only like Miss Austen, but also why she would base her ideas of romance and love on the writings of a single woman who lived over 200 years ago.

* * *

As always, thanks to all my reviewers. I understand that it takes time and effort to leave your comments, and just so you know, they are very much appreciated. 

Now for those who live in anonymity...

Mystic Weaver - Thanks for the question. As you can see, it made it in, though let me tell you, it was hard to write the answer. I visited wikipedia, and Diana has so many powers. At first, I put everyone in, but it really read like a wikpedia article (huh, KN?). So I tried to take out the obvious, maybe leaving some of them alone all together. So Bats learns a bit more about her, but not everything. :-) This chapter did give me headaches, so I'm glad it's done. Thanks for the review!

Oh Franz, Franz, Franz- I'm glad you like this story; it will probably be more than a while before I add to my Issues story. But I've been kicking some ideas around. And I snagged one of your questions. Hopefully you liked the answer. I really liked the second one too, but there is so much that would go into that answer, so I just decided to focus on their ideas of love and romance (well, Diana's). Thanks for all the reviews. You make me happy. I don't have plans for Carol making it back into the story, but I'm going to try. I kind of like her too. And LOL about your comment on not throwing yourself out a window. I hope no one gets so attached to a story that they commit suicide over it. Though I could think of some stories that are so depressing you might wish the characters would, just so they'd leave you be. (coughWuthering Heightscough). It's going to be a little bit more difficult for Diana to keep up her multitasking, as Bruce can be very distracting. And hot!


	6. Midnight Waltz

And in celebration of chapter five being over, and me almost having this sucker finished, I am posting chapter six!

KN- you're the best, and Bebeh G. ( I:-) ) thinks so too.

* * *

**Until Somebody Loses**

**Chapter VI:**

**Midnight Waltz**

* * *

Five slices of cheesecake and many shared jokes later, Diana of Themyscira and Bruce Wayne parted company. Though she could have easily made it back to the Watchtower, Diana wanted to see Batman. So when she was offered a room for the night in one of Bruce Wayne's hotels, she eventually accepted the offer. 

"I had a wonderful time tonight, Bruce, but just so we are clear, my acceptance of your generosity is not an invitation to share my bed."

"I can play by the rules too." After they had exchanged numbers, he hugged her and left her at the hotel.

When Diana entered the penthouse suite, she flipped on the lights and was struck by the room's opulence. It was full of vases brimming with freshly cut roses, beautiful paintings, more than one chandelier, and a spiral staircase that led upstairs to the master bedroom.

Once in the room, she removed the roses from a vase, and inserted her own lovely bouquet. She placed her chocolates on the bed for later consumption and walked into the bathroom. Finding a very soft bathrobe, Diana removed her dress and enveloped herself in the terry cloth. In the middle of the bathroom was the largest tub she had ever seen, and seeing it made her think about how much she deserved a bubble bath. She watched the tub fill with hot water and foam, occasionally throwing in some aromatic salts for good measure. When everything was ready, she lowered herself into the little slice of heaven and began to soak.

When she was sufficiently relaxed, she stepped out of the tub, toweled off, and went to find some sleeping clothes. Naturally, she found a pair of silk pajamas, and it was with great satisfaction that she put on the top. She hopped onto the bed, and sank into the most comfortable mattress in the world. Chocolates and remote control in hand, she turned on the television.

Oprah. Click. Soccer game. Click. Fairly Odd Parents. Click. Law and Order. Click. Pillow Talk.

She sat the remote down, and began to immerse herself in the movie. After she watched Brad Allen win over the reluctant Jan Marrow, she powered off the t.v. It was late, so she decided to take a small nap before the big event.

When Batman entered her room he found her sprawled over the bed, covers kicked off, with her hair splayed around her. It was a scene seemingly designed to drive him insane. The bed was near the balcony, so when he had opened those doors and pushed back the curtains to gain entrance, he had let more than himself in. The moonlight that glinted off her pale skin illuminated the length and smoothness of her legs. _Naturally_, he mentally groused.

He began to take in the other sights of the room. There were roses strewn across the floor and on her nightstand, surrounding the vase of flowers he had given her. An almost empty chocolate box lay beside her. A towel was on the floor near a chest of drawers, and he could smell the fragrant soaps she had earlier used. The idea of an Amazon pampering herself with bubbles and bath salts caused a wry grin to form on his lips. He turned to look at the warrior woman., allowing himself to watch her for a few seconds, all the while fighting the urge to run his fingers through her hair.

Having never been a heavy sleeper, and having gone to sleep expecting his visit, it wasn't long before the sleeping princess stirred. When she saw him, she sat up, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes.

"Good evening, Batman. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"This is business."

She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, then stood up, careful not to step on the discarded roses. "What have I done this time?"

"Why are you here?"

"Bruce Wayne and I went on a date, and as it was late, he offered to house me in his hotel."

"I'm surprised he didn't invite you to his home."

"I think you underestimate him. He is a gentleman."

"I think you are overestimating yourself."

"How sweet of you to check up on me, but I can handle Bruce."

He stood there, staring stonily at her. Diana decided to press him further. She walked over until she was inches from his face.

"Why are you so interested in my affairs anyway?"

"Affairs? I didn't know it had progressed that far."

She placed her hand on his arm; watched his jaw clench. "Would it matter if it had?"

"Yes. The League doesn't need an Amazon, taught from birth that men are evil, going on the warpath after she is dumped by a notorious pig."

"Where you see a pig, I see an extremely attractive man brimming with confidence, charm, and intelligence. He makes me laugh, and he desires me, and I feel the same way about him. He has perfectly good intentions towards me. If you were to witness our interactions, you wouldn't be so worried. Unless you're jealous. Then there might be cause for concern."

She moved her hand to his jaw, allowing her fingers to move softly down his cheek and onto his lips.

"Are you jealous, Batman?"

She wouldn't move her fingers, so he spoke against them. They tasted like chocolate. "You assume too much. Now Get Out of My City."

"I am here as a guest, and I will not leave."

Batman watched as her anger turned into something much more pleasant, though just as dangerous. "You'll just have to trust that I know what I am doing, and that I am a good judge of character. After all, I like you." She verified her statement by softly bringing her lips to his cheek. She moved away slowly, opening her eyes to see his reaction.

He just stood there, a sneer beginning to form on his lips. Undeterred, Diana kissed the other side of his face, and then began to trail light kisses all over the skin left exposed by his cowl.

Though he stood there immobile, she could tell she was getting to him. She was so close to him, she would have been able to feel his breath on her face, if he had not been holding it in. With her own heart beating wildly in her chest, she looked up into the lenses of his cowl. "Do you like me?"

When he didn't reply, Diana turned around so that her back was facing him and walked a few steps away from him. "Besides, do you think I would have feelings for a man who uses women? As you said, I am an Amazon. If I thought that he was as bad as everyone says, I wouldn't go anywhere near him, no matter how good looking he is."

"I never thought of you as shallow."

"Bruce Wayne is deeper than he appears, and I will pursue this. If you are going to keep questioning him and my judgment, you may leave."

He already had.

Diana couldn't decide if she had succeeded, with either Bruce Wayne or Batman. But she was quite certain that Bruce had affected her. Needing to be outside, she stepped onto the balcony. The wind whipped around her, causing her hair to move wildly. It also served to cool her face, which felt like it was on fire.

As Batman watched her from the building across the way, he tried to analyze what had just happened, but was finding it very difficult to focus. All he could think about were her words concerning Wayne. He hadn't expected that Wonder Woman would feel anything substantial for the image he had crafted.

He had been nicer to her than most of his dates, but still, Wayne shouldn't have been good enough for Diana. Most women desired him for one of two reasons: to gain notoriety or to indulge their egos and/or pocketbooks; but Wonder Woman didn't need or care about any of that. Diana seemed to actually like and admire him.

And yet she had placed a contact embargo on the playboy. It didn't make sense, especially since she couldn't seem to keep her hands off of Batman. Normally, he would have found the irony amusing, but tonight it just left him unnerved and as a result, annoyed.

He looked at her beautiful moonlit face, which looked so cool and serene in the night. It stood in stark contrast to the way he had felt when she had brought that face so close to his own; his skin still burned from where she had kissed him. Perhaps she wasn't as naïve as he had earlier thought. She seemed to know exactly what she was doing. But Bruce didn't.

Though her eyes and face were always very open and honest, he could not understand what was going on inside her mind, and it was getting under his skin. Did she want Wayne or Batman? Why was she pursuing them both, but in different ways? And why would she want either of them? Something had set her off, and the world's greatest detective resolved to get to the bottom of it.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *


	7. Outside Interference

I don't own these characters, and I'm not making any money off of this story. Yawn.

Thanks KN for beta-ing and letting me snag some of your supah-kew lines. Just for that, you can have CRDSA back.

* * *

**Until Somebody Loses **

**Chapter VII: **

**Outside Interference**

* * *

The next day Flash zoomed into the monitor room, bribes in hand. 

He handed an iced mocha over to Diana. "Spill."

Taking a page from Bruce, she decided to be evasive. "What are you talking about?"

"I heard you had a date with Bruce Wayne. In Gotham. I bet Batman wasn't too happy about that."

"He'll learn to get over it."

Wally leaned his hip against the table, folding his arms across his chest. "Famous last words. So did Wayne make any untoward advances? Because if he did, I'll beat him up for you."

Diana sighed. Why did everyone think she needed their help? "Flash, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"I know, but you're new to this whole dating thing, and he's Bruce Wayne.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Wally gave her a look that plainly said, "duh!" but he was kind enough to clarify. "_Bruce Wayne. De-flowerer of flowered women_."

Diana placed her hand on her friend's arm, though she was slightly confused by what Wally had said about Bruce. "He has never taken any flowers from me. In fact, he gave me a lovely bouquet last night. "

Flash just shook his head in disbelief, while he muttered to himself, "Oh, Wondy, what am I going to do with you?" Then looking at her, "It's not an actual flower."

"Then, what is it?"

Wally suddenly felt really awkward. "Um, it's not important, but Di, at least let me give you some pointers on how to deal with him. He seems the type that might try something sneaky to get into your, uh… heart."

"That's very kind of you, but Bruce isn't a bad guy."

"Well, I offered. I know a thing or two about women, so, ya know, as a ladies' man myself, I could give you some insights into his inner workings."

Diana highly doubted Wally could know more than she did about Bruce, or women, for that matter, but she politely replied, "I'll keep that in mind."

A slight chime went off, alerting them that someone was trying to communicate with the Watchtower. Seeing that the incoming call came from Gotham, Wally gave Diana a knowing look. "Yup. Batman's not angry with you, _at all_."

Diana ignored his sarcasm and pushed the button to receive the call. Bruce Wayne's face filled the screen.

Wally couldn't help himself. "Speak of the other devil."

Diana turned to Flash, "Would you _please_ excuse us?"

The Scarlet Speedster wiped the grin off of his face, and in a voice as official as possible let her know it couldn't be done. "Actually, Wonder Woman, I came in here to get some work done. Very important stuff, concerning the League. Don't worry, it'll be like I'm not even here. A fly on the wall. Silent as the grave. Quiet like a mime."

Diana didn't believe him, but decided the argument really wasn't worth the trouble.

Besides, Bruce was waiting for her.

"Hello, Mr. Wayne. How are you?"

"Much better now that I've seen you."

The man who was supposed to be as silent as the grave began to noisily shuffle some papers in the background.

Unable to forget or feel comfortable with the voyeur in the room, Diana lowered her voice. "I had a wonderful time with you last night."

"Me too. I've never enjoyed dessert so much."

Diana closed her eyes as she remembered the creamy texture and graham cracker crust of the cheesecake. "And I've never tasted anything so good.

Wally wasn't sure if there was a double meaning in that, but Bruce Wayne and Diana certainly had his attention.

Aware that he had an audience, Bruce began to put the moves on Diana. "I was trying to come up with ideas for our second date. How does a moonlight picnic on the grounds of Wayne Manor sound to you?"

Diana turned around in alarm at the sound of Wally choking on his drink. "Are you OK, Flash?"

"No problem." Cough. "Wrong pipe. But since I've got" Cough. "Your attention, why don't you two go to that upcoming charity event?

Remembering what had happened the last time she had been in Bruce's arms, Diana didn't think it was the best idea to intentionally put herself in that situation. She was already struggling to keep her cool around him. "I'm not sure that I could get through another dance."

"Actually, The Wayne Foundation is having a Renaissance festival to celebrate the opening of a new children's shelter. I think you'd like it."

Proud of himself for giving them the idea, Flash thought it alright to further enhance their conversation. "Diana will love that!"

"Flash!"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." Wally moved his fingers up to his lips, miming that he was zipping and locking them shut.

"I think it's a great idea, Bruce. When and where should I meet you?"

"It's on Saturday, and it starts at noon. It's taking place on the grounds adjoining the orphanage."

"Is there anything special that I should wear?"

"I think jeans and a t-shirt should be fine, though I wouldn't mind it if you came in uniform."

Even though Flash had thrown away the key, he had somehow managed to loosen his lips, and he slurped loudly at his drink before saying. "I hear it's going to be cold. You might want to wear a sweater, jeans, and a very large, frumpy overcoat."

Bruce was actually of the same opinion as Wally, but he still planned on getting him back for his constant interruptions. "Whatever you decide to wear, Diana, the kids won't care. They'll just be happy to see you."

"And I'm sure that they would love a cameo appearance from Central City's Scarlet Speedster just as much."

Both Bruce and Diana ignored Wally's suggestion. "I'll see you Saturday, Bruce."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Diana quickly ended the transmission before Flash could horn himself further into her weekend plans.

She turned around and gave Flash an icy stare. Shrugging his shoulders and raising his arms up in question, he gave her an incredulous look. "What?"

She poked him in the chest. "I thought you were going to be quiet."

Wally rubbed the newly sore spot. "Hey, you should be thanking me. I'm the one who came up with the brilliant idea for your second date."

"Luckily for you. How did you even know about the event?"

"I didn't, but he's always doing some charity shindig, and I figured the more people present at your little get-together, the better. Moonlight picnic! Please."

Diana rolled her eyes and took a pull from her drink, just as the Man of Steel walked in the room.

Unable to keep any gossip to himself, Flash practically yelled out to Superman as he crossed the threshold, "Guess who just called Diana!!"

"Bruce Wayne."

Having the wind taken out of his sails, Wally's shoulders began to droop. "How did you know?"

"Superhearing, remember?" In a less mocking tone, Clark added, "Plus, I saw her leave yesterday for a date with him."

"What was she wearing?"

"A white knee-length coat that she paired with a gold purse and shoes. She even curled her hair."

"Ooooh. Very classy. I bet the white of the coat offset her black hair nicely."

They both turned their heads in Diana's direction when she cleared her throat.

Feeling a little embarrassed, Superman blurted out. "Batman saw her too."

"What did he say?! Oh wait. Let me guess. Nothing."

"Bingo, but I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't want Diana there. You know how he is about Gotham."

Before Flash could go off on one of his infamous tirades about 'Batman's city' Diana interrupted him. "He didn't seem that upset when he came to visit me in my hotel room."

Both male superheroes chins dropped.

"You stayed the night in Gotham?" Flash asked.

Diana tried to look innocently at the two men in the room. "I accepted Bruce's invitation to stay overnight. Did I do something wrong?"

Superman and Flash looked at each other, then at her. In unison, they yelled at her, "It was your first date!"

Superman was the first to regain his composure, as he was pretty sure Bruce wasn't interested in Diana. "It doesn't matter. I'm sure nothing happened. So did he give you an earful?"

"Who? Bruce?"

At this, Flash choked on his drink. Again. In a bit of a daze himself, Superman hit Wally on his back with more force than he intended, sending him crashing into the far wall.

Diana couldn't help laughing at the two. "You guys are too much. I was sleeping alone, and Bruce didn't even try to kiss me."

"Well, that's a relief."

Diana began to walk out of the doors, leaving them with one last thing to chew on. "But when Batman visited my hotel room, it was a completely different story."

Flash picked himself off of the floor and hobbled over to the Man of Steel. "I swear, I haven't been putting anything into those iced mochas."

Spiked mochas or not, the investigator in Clark was piqued. It was time to pay Bruce a visit.

* * *

Batman knew that if he kept dating Diana, Clark would confront him about it. But having foreknowledge of the event didn't help him deal with it any better. It actually served to increase the irritation he felt when Superman materialized in his cave two days after Bruce had invited Diana to the charity event. 

Sitting before the large monitor of his CRAY supercomputers, Batman didn't even turn around to greet his guest. "This better be important, _Clark_."

Superman had hoped to have a casual conversation with his friend, but it didn't look like that would be happening. "It is, _Bruce_. I was talking with Diana, and she happened to mention a late night meeting in her hotel room. What is going on between you and her?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

Bruce was always stubborn and unresponsive, and usually Clark let it slide. But he was getting annoyed that every time he tried having a friendly discussion with Batman, it usually turned into a hostile negotiation. Fortunately, that was nothing Clark couldn't handle. He spun Bruce's chair around so that now they were face to face.

"I thought this was just one date, but then Bruce Wayne asked her out again. And if that weren't bad enough, I now find out that Batman is making out with her too."

Hating to be talked down to, Bruce stood to his feet and cooly replied, "I haven't forced her to do anything that she didn't want to do herself."

"I don't know what little experiment you're playing here, but Diana isn't a lab rat. You don't get to do this to her."

Bruce's eyes narrowed as he stared down the man in front of him. "She's a big girl; she can take care of herself. Does Lois know how concerned you are about her?"

Clark should have expected that, but he glared at him nonetheless. Why wouldn't Bruce just admit how dangerous a game he was playing? Skipping all other strategies, Superman took the most effective route; he appealed to Bruce's rational side. "She has no idea who you are. She's inexperienced, and she's your colleague. And you don't even like her. You're getting in over your head, and nothing good can come of this."

When Batman said nothing in reply, a terrible thought entered Clark's mind. "You don't actually like her, do you?"

"That's none of your business."

That answer could have meant anything from "yes, I do," to "no, and screw you." Clark decided to play it safe. Though he did not soften his stance on the budding relationship between the two, he did soften his voice. "Bruce, you are Diana's first meaningful experience of the opposite sex. Do you want her to become as disillusioned as you? Don't ruin it for her, just so you can satisfy your curiosity, only to back away when things get too personal."

"I assume that Diana has received a similar lecture?"

"Don't be ridiculous. She isn't the one who's going to hurt you."

"If Diana gets hurt, it's not going to be because of me."

"I can't believe you are avoiding any responsibility in this!"

Clark had no idea what he was talking about, and Batman hated ignorance. Disgusted, Bruce stood there silently, waiting for Clark to leave.

He didn't.

"Look, I know that once you have your mind set on something, you're not going to stop, no matter what anyone says. But I'm asking you to consider what I've said, for Diana's sake. It would be something else if you actually wanted a relationship with her. You'd have my blessing."

At this, Bruce rolled his eyes, and since he wasn't wearing his cowl, Superman saw it.

"That's a relief. I wasn't sure that I could keep pursuing her without your permission. I felt conflicted. Thanks, Superman." The acidity of his answer burned away whatever patience Clark had left.

"You're just using her to further Bruce Wayne's reputation. Find someone else."

This was getting old really quickly. "Are you finished?"

"No. Do you honestly think you could make her happy?"

Batman thought now would be the perfect time to point out the inconsistencies in Superman's arguments. "Which is it, Clark? Do I like her or am I using her?"

"With you, who knows? In either case, you should leave her alone. It will be better for everyone that way."

When all Batman did was turn his head to the side, as if the wall were more interesting than anything Clark had to say, the reporter left.

When he heard Superman disappear, Bruce savagely kicked over his chair. Clark had completely mistaken the situation; it was Diana pursuing him. Diana's experiment. Diana kissing him. Diana who liked him.

Still riled from Superman's intrusion, Bruce headed over to his training room and emptied out his anger on an unsuspecting punching bag.

An hour later, Alfred found him still hard at work.

The old man cleared his throat to get Bruce's attention. Unable to break through, he resorted to using words.

"Rough day, sir?"

Bruce looked up from his stuffed nemesis and wiped the sweat off of his brow. He gave Alfred no answer, but they walked back into the Manor together.

"I took the liberty of making your lunch, sir."

Bruce grunted his thanks as he sat down in a kitchen chair. Alfred placed his charge's food on the table before questioning him again. "Was there something in particular that Master Clark wanted with you?"

Bruce leaned his elbows on the table, placing his head in his palms and began rubbing his temples. "It was nothing. You know how he likes to stick his nose where it doesn't belong. He was just giving me another of his friendly reminders."

"I have never seen one of his friendly reminders leave you this upset."

Bruce looked up at his unusually nosy surrogate father. "He doesn't normally bring up my personal life."

"Is there anything I can help you with, Master Bruce?"

Bruce considered it for a moment, but decided against the assistance. "Thank you, Alfred, but I think I can handle this."

"Of course, sir. And before I forget, Miss Diana called. She wanted me to let you know that she is very much looking forward to seeing you this weekend. And though Mr. Kent is too blind to see it, she seemed very happy to me."

Bruce raised his eyebrow at Alfred. "Since when did you start eavesdropping?"

"I do not eavesdrop. Now, if you will excuse me, sir. I need to dust the monitor room again. It has been collecting so much dust lately."

Giving his charge a firm pat on the shoulder, Alfred left Bruce to ponder the butler's vote of confidence while he ate his ham sandwich.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

And just so everyone knows, KN gave me the idea for "Bruce Wayne- De-flowerer of flowered women." I've gotten two reviews about people who liked that line, but it didn't originate from my head. It was going to be Defrauder of virtuous women, but thanks to my beta's advice/off-hand comments, I changed it. Thanks again, KN! 

Thanks everyone for all your reviews.

For my masked reviewer...

Mystic Weaver, thank you for the reviews. I'm glad you liked chapter five. I think Diana will do alright keeping ahead of Bruce. Perhaps it's wishful thinking on my part, but she's pretty much going be a mini-step ahead of him the whole time. Though she might not feel like she is all the time. :)


	8. Into the Woods

I don't own the characters, and I'm not making money off of this story.

Here is the first part of the second date.

Thanks for the beta, KN. And I took another of your off-hand comments and incorporated into the story. Snatch and Thanks. :D. BCBW awaits!

* * *

**Until Somebody Loses **

**Loser VIII: **

**Into the Woods**

* * *

Saturday soon arrived, and Diana made her way to the transport room. She set her coordinates for a few miles away from the site of the Renaissance festival, deciding to spend some time gathering her wits and courage before she faced Bruce again. 

He had returned her earlier call, and they had passed the time in pleasant conversation. It helped that she had received the communication in her room, away from the prying eyes of Flash and Superman. The Man of Steel, in particular, had been very nosy about all her dealings with Bruce, so much so, that she began to suspect that Superman knew Batman's identity. And since Superman wasn't aware that she was in the know, that meant he probably confronted Bruce, which was the last thing Diana wanted. She could only imagine the things Superman would say to keep Bruce from "hurting her," probably wounding Bruce in the process. Though, she remembered gratefully, Bruce didn't seem out of sorts when he called her. Maybe a little less talkative, but that was all.

Still, she was slightly apprehensive about their upcoming date. She felt they were growing closer, and she didn't know how he would react to that.

From overhead, she viewed the grounds. The children's shelter was a stately three-story country home with vast acreage. The area surrounding the orphanage was very picturesque; clumps of large trees dotted the meadow, and the occasional pond was scattered delightfully around the place. As she descended, she took in the booths and stages spread over the fields, all draped in bright colors with people busily milling around them.

Trying not to draw attention, her sneaker-clad feet alighted on the grass about one hundred yards from the activities. Jeans, a turtleneck, and Gotham Knights jersey completed the rest of her outfit. Dressed for a day of fun, she went in search for Bruce.

Within five minutes of being there, and without having found him, she was discovered by a slew of reporters. The one that Diana assumed was the top dog stepped forward and shoved a microphone in her face.

"Wonder Woman, what brings you to Gotham?"

Diana pushed the instrument down before responding. "Who are you?"

"Summer Gleeson from Gotham Live."

"Well, Ms. Gleeson, I am here as a special guest of Mr. Wayne."

"Can we assume that by special guest you mean you are here as his date?"

All the reporters started murmuring at that. Diana wasn't sure what she should say. Her personal life really wasn't any of the their business. But she didn't want to lie, and if she admitted to a budding romance with the billionaire, she would be affirming Wayne's reputation as a playboy, which would help Bruce. That settled it.

"Yes, I am Mr. Wayne's date."

"How did you two meet?"

"I was invited to another event held by the Wayne Foundation, and someone stepped on my dress, causing me to trip. He caught me as I was falling."

"That sounds much more chivalrous than the Bruce Wayne we've been accustomed to hearing of. Does it worry you that none of his relationships last longer than three dates?"

Diana stared at the tactless red-headed reporter. Trying to school her features into the picture of politeness, she answered, "Not particularly. Those other women have nothing to do with my relationship with him now. It is past history."

"Still, you must admit that this is a surprising turn of events. You could have any man in the world, and yet you date the one who is renowned for treating women badly."

Diana was beginning to wonder if Summer had dated and been dumped by Bruce before, as the woman seemed to have a personal vendetta against him. Being new to Man's World, Diana was unaware that this was common practice among the media.

Wonder Woman drew upon all her patience and skills as a diplomat to keep from throwing Summer into a tree. "He is a wonderful human being and one of the best men I know. I consider it an honor to associate with him, and if I could do it all over again, I wouldn't choose another man. Now if you would excuse me, Ms. Gleeson. I need to find my date."

"You heard it here first; Wonder Woman and Bruce Wayne are officially an item."

Diana spun around only to bump into the back of the very person she was looking for.

"Bruce!"

When he turned, his face was plastered with a flirtatious grin, and he pulled her over to his side, placing a possessive arm around her waist.

The cameras focused on them as the questions came raining down.

Bruce held up his hand to the ravening reporters. "Ladies and gentlemen, please. One question at a time."

"What's it like dating a superhero?"

"Not just any superhero. Wonder Woman. And she more than lives up to her name, believe me." Bruce gazed down at the woman beside him and gave her a toothy grin. It nearly distracted her from seeing the seriousness with which he regarded her.

"Is she the most beautiful woman you have ever dated?"

"Yes, and she just so happens to be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. And no, Mr. Carr, you cannot have her. She's all mine." The fake laughter of the reporters and cameramen filled the air. Bruce's hand at her waist tightened around her, but when Diana glanced over at him, he was mugging for the camera.

"Will we be seeing more of her in Gotham?"

"I don't know about you, but _I_ will certainly be seeing more of her, if you know what I mean." He winked at the cameras, thanked the media, then pulled her away.

All Diana could do was stare at him. Even though he had been acting stupidly, he had made some bold proclamations about both her and their relationship. She just wasn't sure if she should take them seriously.

He was the first to speak. Trying to gloss over what had just happened as quickly as possible, he said, "I see you were talking with Summer."

"Have you ever dated her?"

"It's not polite to ask about your date's exes, but no, I have never dated her."

Diana tried not to roll her eyes as Bruce offered her more dating advice. "Good."

He raised his eyebrows and his lips turned up at the corners. "Are you jealous?"

"No. But I don't like her."

"Was she rude to you?"

Diana hesitated then finally said, "No, but she was saying all sorts of rude things about you. I wanted to hit her."

"Usually, it's the men who defend the honor of their women." He wasn't sure if the Amazon in her would find that offensive, but Diana didn't seem too upset by the comment. It probably helped that he had just called her his woman.

"Well, _my_ man, how about we stick up for each other?"

He didn't say anything in response, but he did smile back at her as she continued, "I couldn't just let her say such horrible things about you on television without correcting her."

"I know. I heard."

"You did?" She wondered if Bruce would be upset with her for painting such a positive picture of Wayne to the reporter. Stopping in her tracks, she turned to see him. "Should I have not said anything?"

Bruce watched as something like worry flit across her face, before inwardly wondering why she would ask such a question. "What man wouldn't want Wonder Woman saying good things about him? It certainly didn't hurt my reputation. Or my ego." And then he grinned at her. When the shock that he had made a joke at his own expense wore off, Diana was finally able to answer.

She began walking again, and looked over her shoulder at him as she said, "With an ego like yours, I doubt anything could."

The peal of his laughter met her ears, and Diana decided that it was one of her most favorite sounds. He sobered before responding with, "So the truth finally comes out. You think I'm full of myself."

"Just a little." She didn't tell him that that was one of the things she liked most about him.

"Not everyone can be as perfect as you are, Princess."

Feeling slightly uncomfortable, Diana let out a nervous chuckle. "No one is perfect."

"But you come pretty close."

Diana glanced over at Bruce, and something about the way he was looking at her emboldened her enough to reach over and grab his hand. She eyed him tentatively and gave him a shy smile, which turned into a radiant beam when his fingers tightened around hers.

A knowing smirk came over Bruce's face as he noted, "I thought we were only going to _discuss_ hand-holding on the second date."

"That was the discussion."

When he smiled back at her, Diana had to look away. A happy grin still decorated her face, but she didn't want him to see how giddy she felt, especially over something so small as hand-holding. But her elation did not escape Bruce, and he enjoyed being the one who could make her feel that way.

Having been wrapped up in conversation and the joys of physical contact, Diana hadn't noticed that they were moving further away from the crowds of people. But when the manicured lawns of the park transitioned into unkempt grass, she realized they were entering a little wood.

She dropped his hand and eyed him suspiciously. "Where are you taking me?"

"Away from prying eyes."

"But don't we have to be somewhere?"

"Not for another thirty minutes."

The doubt in her eyes didn't disappear, so he gave her his assurances. "I promise we'll be back in time."

Diana knew she should turn around, but she ignored the warning signs and kept on walking.

"I assume there is something here you want me to see."

"Actually, there is nothing over here. I just wanted some time alone with you before I had to share you with everyone else."

Inwardly, Diana was thrilled, but she coolly replied, "That's not setting a good example for the children."

He surveyed their surroundings before turning his eyes on her. "I don't see any children around, do you?" His grinned at her charmingly, and unfortunately for Diana, she was too busy admiring his lips to notice the tree root in her path. But it soon had her full attention, as she stumbled over it.

And again, it was Bruce that kept her from falling. Feeling slightly ridiculous, Diana leaned against the tree that was nearly her downfall, chuckling at her clumsiness.

"You're very dangerous, Bruce. That's the second time I've tripped around you."

He walked over to where she was standing, so that now they were toe to toe. "It's also the second time I've rescued you. I believe some thanks are in order."

Diana crossed her arms in front of her, perhaps thinking that action would protect her from the assault he was making on her franticly beating heart.

Bruce's eyes lowered to her mouth, and when she realized that she was licking her lower lip, she quickly found something of interest on the ground below.

It really was too much for the Princess to handle, and Bruce knew it. She had been in charge that night in the hotel room when she had made her moves on Batman, but now he was going to have his turn. And he planned on paying her back at _least_ ten fold for teasing him.

"I would think a princess would have better manners." He leaned in and kissed her on her cheek. Diana managed to keep her mouth closed, but her eyes widened, and he was able to see that she wanted him to kiss her.

He'd make her wait.

"Aren't you going to say 'thank you,' Diana?" Bruce moved his lips so close to hers that she closed her eyes in anticipation, only to feel his mouth on her other cheek. He heard her sigh and felt her hair brush against his cheek, as she nearly brought her head down on his shoulder. But he wasn't going to let her off that easy.

He withdrew his face from hers, watching as her eyes fluttered open.

"I see you're still speechless. Here, I'll make this easier for you. I'll say something nice about you, and you will say 'thank you' in return." He moved his hand to her cheek, and slowly ran his finger across the various delicate structures of her face, finally resting the roving digit on her lower lip. "You are so beautiful," he practically whispered.

Diana's eyes blinked rapidly and her face felt warm under his touch. In a shaky voice, she said, "Bruce, I don't thi-"

She never got to finish that sentence, as he began kissing her. He had started off slowly, as he waited for her to grow used to how it felt, but things quickly escalated.

Diana felt as if someone had removed every bone from her body. She clung to his shoulders, fearful that she might fall again. As Bruce had enfolded her tightly in his arms, she had little cause for worry.

His mouth traveled everywhere along her face, christening all of her facial features. As the minutes passed, Diana thought she might die from pleasure. Every so often, she would offer a silent prayer to Aphrodite, beseeching the goddess of love to help her do this correctly. Diana tried to focus on something, anything, so that she could calm down, but it was impossible. All she could think of and feel was his lips and hands on her.

Finally, out of nowhere, he stopped.

The breathless billionaire studied the woman before him, who--he proudly noted--wouldn't look at him. Her cheeks were reddened and her breathing was so labored, her shoulders visibly rose and fell with every breath. If he had wanted to, he could have kissed her again without any objections, and right now there was nothing Bruce wanted more. He placed his hand on her face again, gently forcing her to see him. He smiled fondly at the confusion and excitement that were plainly written in her eyes, but it was the trust he saw there that made him reconsider his next actions.

He moved his hand to her disheveled hair, smoothing out the bumps that he had created. "I'm sorry, Diana. I guess I got carried away in the moment."

She laughed nervously, but refused to look away because she read something in his eyes, as well. She couldn't identify it, but he had never looked at her that way before. "It's alright. I haven't been very vigilant about enforcing my rules."

Neither of them said anything as they continued looking at each other, but finally Bruce's hand fell from her face, took up her hand and intertwined their fingers. "I think we should get back to the festivities."

"I think you're right."

And with that, Bruce and Diana walked hand in hand to rejoin the others.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

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**Heads up. I might not be able to meet next week's "deadline." The next chapter is something I deem greatly ambitious (it will be lots of dialog in the same vein as chapter 5). I promised myself I would read a book that I am going to relate the events of the upcoming installment to before I wrote it, but it is taking forever. **

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**Thanks everyone for all your kind reviews. I will say it again, they make me happy. :)**

For my reviewer enrolled in the Witness Protection Program

Mystic Weaver, About Batman's angry moment. Even he gets a chance to act like a drama queen diva. Nah... but I figured that because 1) he was alone, and 2) where he might have been slightly expecting more encouragement or, at the very least, trust from a respected friend, he instead finds out Clark thinks the worst about him in regards to Diana, he is entitled to become angry/frustrated within the confines of his Batcave. I suppose, I could have had him be sneaky about it, maybe squeeze a Batstress ball hidden within the lining of his cape until it exploded, but I wanted him to be a little bit more flamboyant. Poor chair, though I'm sure it had it coming. I like Bruce's cool facade as well, but I think the Bats is teeming with powerful emotions, which will rarely come out to play when he thinks no one is watching or if sufficiently provoked by the right person(s).


	9. To be, or not to be?

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

Special thanks to Kipling-Nori, WildWasabi, and Hepburn. To KN- thanks for being my beta and letting me pick your brain. In acknowledgment of your grand generosity, I give you GP. Thanks WW for letting me steal that very, very cute line of yours. And to Hepburn, thanks for helping make sure that I remained true to Mr. Shakespeare and didn't read my own crazy interpretations into his play.

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**Until Somebody Loses**

**Chapter IX:**

**To be, or not to be?**

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As they walked towards the crowds of people, the two began attracting attention from a different sector of the festival's attendees. The media were, of course, never far away, but many of the children in attendance were overawed by the presence of a member of the Justice League. Diana, however, was oblivious to it all. 

They stopped near a booth that was selling floral headdresses, and feeling particularly gallant, and uncharacteristically whimsical, Bruce told Diana to choose one. Her eyes quickly scanned the table, but she found all of them too ornate.

Seeing Wonder Woman pondering over his wares, the person in charge of the booth spoke up. "How may I be of service, my lady?"

The couple's attention was turned towards a man dressed in scarlet wide paned hose and a white and red linen shirt with a ruffed collar and sleeves, which peeked out from under his red doublet. In addition to this, he wore a black short sleeved jerkin and a matching cap on his head.

"Oh, hello…" Diana didn't know what to call him, so the man gave her a hand. "My name is Peter."

"Well, Peter, I think I want that one." In his hands, the man held a plain wreath, which Diana was now pointing to.

Peter looked at her quizzically. "There are more beautiful wreaths on offer on the table.. This one is yet to be finished, my lady."

"You may call me Diana."

"That would never do. A man such as myself could never address you in such a personal manner. I am a mere mortal, while you are a lady most fair."

Diana leaned over and whispered to Bruce, "Are you taking notes on how to address me?" Before he could answer her, Diana turned back to Peter and said, "Could you add a few white flowers?"

After she had said this, the vendor stepped to the side and gestured to all the flowers in the buckets and baskets behind him. "Your wish is my command. Which of these blossoms pleases you, my lady?"

Scanning the various blooms, Diana opted for jasmine and lily of the valley.

"Ah, the _Stephanotis floribunda_ and _Convallaria majalis_. Excellent choices." Then he looked at Bruce and added, "You two wouldn't be entertaining thoughts of marriage by any chance, would you?"

Bruce cleared his throat and looked oddly at the man behind the table. "I beg your pardon."

"It was said in jest, good sir. The jasmine in the lady's crown is often used in bridal bouquets and the lily of the valley is a promise of coming happiness."

Diana laughed at the uncomfortable look that was still on her date's face. "Don't worry, Bruce. You aren't allowed to propose to me until at least our fourth date."

Bruce grinned back and said, "I think we've already established that you aren't the best at keeping your rules."

Having inserted the flowers into their proper places, Peter turned to Bruce and asked, "Would you care to do the honors, sir?"

After paying for the creation, Bruce took the wreath from Peter's hands and gently placed it atop Diana's head. He looked at the adornment and wryly noted, "It's a bit Spartan in comparison to the rest of the wreaths, Diana, but I suppose that's fitting considering who you are."

"Yes, the lady is quite the beautiful flower."

"I was referring to her warrior upbringing, but you are right on that count too, Peter."

Diana was about to respond when out of the corner of her eye, she saw two children watching her. She turned to face them, and both sets of the children's eyes widened. Neither of them looked older than ten years old. The braver one stepped forward, and said, "Are you Wonder Woman?"

"Yes, I am. Who are you?"

"My name is Scott."

"Hello, Scott, and who is this?"

"My little sister, Lisa."

"It's nice to meet you, Scott and Lisa."

The boy just smiled at Diana politely, but Lisa was too afraid to respond in any way. In fact, she was hiding behind her slightly bigger brother.

Scott looked as if he were contemplating something, then finally decided to just ask his question. "Miss Wonder Woman, could I have your autograph, please?"

She could see that Bruce, who was standing off to her right, was getting a kick out of all this. "Of course. Do you have pen and paper?"

The boy's delighted face fell, and it became apparent that he did not. Bruce pulled out a scrap of paper from his wallet and handed it, along with a pen, to Diana. "Allow me."

Scott finally acknowledged the man who was standing next to Wonder Woman, while his little sister finally spoke up, "Are you Mr. Wonder Woman?"

Bruce looked surprised at the question. Diana tried not to laugh as she looked at Bruce, waiting for his answer. Seeing the mischief in Diana's eyes, Bruce decided to have a little fun, too.

"Actually, no. I am Wonder Woman's knight in shining armor."

Scott looked skeptically at the man, "Yeah right. You're probably her boyfriend, even though I thought she was dating Superman." Turning to Diana, he asked, "Aren't you Superman's girlfriend?"

Diana looked over at Bruce, and she could tell he wasn't too amused with the kid's question, but Bruce answered Scott before she did.

"Aren't you a cute little kid?" Bruce reached over and ruffled the boy's shaggy brown hair, only to have his hand swatted away, as he was firmly told, "No. Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm the man who gave you pen and paper so you could get Wonder Woman's autograph."

Diana thought now would be the time to point out that he was also the boy's benefactor. "This is my date, Bruce Wayne."

At this, Lisa, who had been studying Bruce the whole time, stepped forward and asked, "Aren't you the man who bought us our house?"

"Yes. Do you like it?"

"It is the best house I have ever lived in. And I love my room. It's my favorite color."

"And what color is that, Lisa?"

"Purple."

"Good choice. Did you know that's Wonder Woman's favorite color?"

The girl looked excitedly at the Amazon. "Really?!"

"It certainly is. Here's the autograph, Scott." Handing the paper over to the boy, Diana raised a hand to her head, and looked over at Bruce. Sensing what she was going to do, he gave an approving nod, and watched as Wonder Woman placed her crown of laurel leaves, jasmine, and lily of the valley on Lisa's head. "And this is for you."

If it were possible, the girl's smile grew even larger, but Lisa stood rooted to the ground, unsure of what to do.

Here brother nudged her and whispered very loudly, "What are you supposed to say?"

"Thank you, Wonder Woman."

"Actually, it's from me and Bruce. And you're very welcome. I just wish there were purple flowers in there for you."

Lisa went over and hugged Diana and then hesitated before walking over to Bruce and doing the same thing. "Thank you, Mr. Bruce."

Scott shook the Bruce's hand, and said, "I guess you can't be too bad if Wonder Woman likes you. Thanks for our place, Mr. Bruce." And with that the children and adults went their separate ways.

As soon as they were out of earshot from the passersby, Diana looked apologetically at Bruce. "I'm sorry that I gave your gift away."

"I'll just buy you another."

"That isn't necessary."

He jokingly responded with, "I wouldn't want people thinking that Superman would make a better boyfriend than me."

Diana turned to face him. He was smiling, but she could tell that the little boy's statement had hit a nerve. She was convinced that Superman had said something to him, but not knowing what was actually spoken between the two, Diana tried to fix whatever doubt the Man of Steel had raised in Bruce. Taking his hand in hers again, she stated firmly, "I think you already know this, but I have never thought of Superman as anything more than a dear friend. We are viewed as the leaders of the Justice League, so people, naturally, want to pair us up. But those people don't know either of us, or who we are attracted to and who we would be happy with. But I know those things, and, that's why I've chosen to be here with you. And even if the whole world thought he should be my boyfriend, it wouldn't matter, because I don't think that at all." Then less seriously, "And we both know that my opinion is the one that matters most."

Bruce returned her words with a small smirk, though she hoped he got more out of the pep talk than he was letting on. As they kept walking, she said, "Besides, your only rival for my affections is Batman."

In a much lighter mood, Bruce responded. "Careful, Princess. I know where you live."

Diana smiled as she warned him, "It will take much more than a few kisses and threats for me to forget Batman."

"It didn't seem like it back there in the woods, and I can do much more than that."

Diana blushed and didn't say anything, so now Bruce picked up her slack by continuing to tease her. "He might be the hero, but I bet he couldn't make you feel half of what you feel for me."

"I have never met someone who, at the same time, manages to be so egotistical and, yet, so hard on himself. Don't sell either yourself or Batman short. I consider you a hero for all that you have done, and I wouldn't be surprised if Lisa and Scott do, too. And as for what Batman makes me feel, well, as you said before, it isn't polite to talk about other men while out on a date with another." Diana inwardly crowed as she used his own words to prevent further queries, though Bruce looked more than slightly interested to hear about her feelings for Batman.

"And as you said, I'm not the type to let a little crush get in the way of what I want."

At first Diana chuckled at his choice of words, but then her face grew more serious. A few seconds passed before she asked, "You do want me, right?"

Bruce had actually been asking himself that very question ever since Clark had visited him a few days ago. In just one sentence, Alfred had helped Bruce identify the real source of his anger at Superman. It wasn't his interference; Bruce only found that mildly annoying. However, the idea that he couldn't make Diana happy had made him livid. And the only reasonable explanation for his heated reaction was that he liked her.

The more Bruce had thought about it, the clearer it became how willfully blind and arrogant he had been. Even before meeting Bruce Wayne at that charity ball, Diana had dominated his thoughts. But rather than accept the most obvious reason for his mental fixation, Bruce had either ignored it or found some rationalization for it. First, it was that they were always working together, so naturally she would be on his mind. Then it was because he was worried about her. Then he blamed his loneliness. But he had refused to believe that it was because he actually liked Diana--had liked her almost as soon as she had arrived in Man's World. It was almost laughable how foolish he had been, thinking that he would disinterestedly give Diana lessons in dating, that he was doing it for the sole purpose of looking out for her well-being.

Before he came to the park today, he had convinced himself that it was only a small attraction that could be ignored until she came to her senses and ended this. But after overhearing her declarations to Summer Gleeson and their meeting behind the trees, Bruce now realized that this wasn't some infatuation that could be overlooked and managed. Clark had been right; he was in way over his head. Bruce had fallen for her, and hard. And he didn't know what to do with that information.

As the seconds passed, and he watched the disappointment creep into her eyes, Bruce made a snap judgment. He resolved to try to be the man she seemed to think he was and would try to make her happy, if just for today. Bruce was still of the opinion that she would eventually lose interest, but it wasn't going to be caused by his actions. And if he could be open and honest with anyone, he knew it was Diana.

Just when she had despaired of him ever answering, he slowly said, "I think it's obvious how I feel about you."

"You're a complex man, Bruce Wayne. Nothing is obvious with you."

Swallowing his pride and fear, he admitted, "I like you. Very much."

Whatever worries were bothering Diana melted away in that instant. "And I like you too. Very much."

Even though he already knew that, hearing her say it again made him feel irrationally happy. Being unaccustomed to the experience, he immediately felt uncomfortable. He forced himself to stop dwelling on how much her words meant to him, as he began leading her over to the large house. "Remember how I said we didn't have to be anywhere for a half hour? Well, there is this ribbon cutting ceremony in about five minutes. Would you like to do the honors?"

"Thank you, but no. I don't think you get enough recognition for all you do for Gotham. You should be the one performing the ceremony."

"Perhaps we should have taken Flash up on his offer. He would have jumped at the chance. It's a silly thing anyway. The orphanage has been open for almost two months."

"Then, why did you wait so long to do this?"

"We wanted to make it a big event for the children, and it was too cold to hold the fair any earlier than late February. Luckily, it's been warmer than expected."

"How many shelters has the Wayne Foundation been involved in establishing?"

"Not nearly enough."

When they reached the house, she watched as Bruce took the stone steps two at a time. Once he reached the top, he stood next to the men and women who ran the orphanage. After he shook their hands, he turned to the crowd that had assembled and said, "Thank you all for coming. We hope that you enjoyed the festival, and we look forward to having many more fun-filled events for the people of Gotham , and particularly for the children who live here. Without further ado, I present St. Nicholas' House." With that, he took the large pair of scissors offered to him and cut the red ribbon in two. After posing for some pictures he descended the steps and walked over to Diana.

"Don't you need to stay and speak with the press?"

"I'm Bruce Wayne. It's not expected of me. So what do you want to do next, Princess?"

"I thought we'd just wander around."

And that's what they did. They paused at puppet shows, were entertained by harlequins, and listened to story tellers. Diana signed more autographs and posed for pictures, and while Bruce didn't get her another crown, he bought her some more flowers.

As they weaved their way through all the booths, Diana's attention kept being drawn toward a large stage about thirty yards from all the stands. Turning to Bruce for an explanation, he informed her that the Gotham Shakespearean Company was putting on a performance of _Hamlet. _He didn't seem too thrilled about the selection. "It's too dark for the young children here. I don't know what the planners of this event were thinking."

"Most of the little kids aren't even over here. They're too busy having fun everywhere else."

Having heard of Shakespeare before, and having always enjoyed the plays her sisters would perform on Themyscira, Diana asked Bruce if they could go watch. The prospect of sitting through the Bard's tale of the Danish prince did not appeal to him, but Bruce reluctantly agreed.

They joined the many people lying on blankets strewn across the grass or seated on benches. Bruce and Diana opted to experience _Hamlet_ on the grass, though they tried to sit as far away from the crowds of people as they could, while still being able to see the people on the stage clearly. They had just taken their seats as Hamlet was giving instructions on how the actors should perform "The Mousetrap." Hamlet had hoped to use this play within the play to figure out if his mother's new husband, Claudius, had actually murdered his father.

Before the intermission, Diana watched Hamlet speak his most famous soliloquy, reject the love of Ophelia, and discover that Claudius had, in fact, murdered Hamlet's father.

Bruce spent most of the intermission explaining to Diana what they had missed at the beginning of the play.

After the lesson, Diana recited back what she had been taught. "Let me see if I have this right. The ghost of Hamlet's father told Hamlet that Claudius had murdered him. Then Claudius married the wife of the man he just murdered, his sister-in-law. And Hamlet promised his father that he would kill Claudius. But instead of just getting it over with, he waited and waited, acted as if he were insane, and threw away the love of his life."

"Basically, yes. But you are judging Hamlet too harshly. He didn't know if the ghost was actually his father's, he didn't know who he could trust, and he thought that Ophelia didn't love him, because she had been acting differently toward him. And that isn't even taking into account his grief for his father and anger at his mother."

"I'll try to wait till I see the end of the play before passing judgment."

"I doubt you'll like it. This is one of Shakespeare's tragedies, so that means nearly everyone dies."

Diana considered leaving, but she was finding that Hamlet and Bruce had more than a few things in common. "Do you like Shakespeare?"

"I'm not really interested in plays, but I respect him. It would be hard not to, seeing as how Alfred is a trained Shakespearean actor and would forcibly point out the complexities of the characters and plays he created. If I had said anything bad against the playwright, I would never have heard the end of it."

Diana tried to imagine someone who could bully Bruce into appreciating something he didn't want to. She was finding it difficult, as she hadn't met anyone who had been able to do it, except maybe herself, and even that was questionable. "Alfred sounds very interesting. I hope to meet him some day."

"Maybe you will. I know he'd like to meet you."

"You've talked about me with him?"

"Not very much, but I know he likes you."

Diana wanted to ask more, but didn't want to come across as too eager. She began playing with her flowers instead, while Bruce sat there watching her. They sat there in comfortable silence until the curtains rose a few moments later.

By the end of the play, Hamlet killed Ophelia's father, which drove her insane. Her brother, Laertes, came back to kill Hamlet for murdering his father, only to find out that Ophelia had drowned, possibly committing suicide. Working with Claudius, Laertes had devised a plan to kill Hamlet during a sword fight by putting poison on his weapon. The play culminated in a series of unfortunate events, where Hamlet, Laertes, Claudius, and Gertrude (Hamlet's mother and Claudius' wife) were all poisoned and died.

Since it was still winter, when the play was finished, it was near sunset. The fair would be shutting down within the hour as the darkness was swiftly approaching. Neither Bruce nor Diana moved, but watched as a crew began to break down the stage. She waited until all the people within hearing had vacated, before informing Bruce that he had been right. She did not like the play.

"I promise not to tell Alfred you said that."

"Seriously, Bruce. I feel so horribly for the main character, especially after all that he had been through, but it could have ended so much better for everyone involved."

"I think that, among other things, Shakespeare was commenting on the role of chance and providence in a human's life. It could have ended many different ways, but by some cruel twist of fate, it didn't."

"But where does Hamlet's own personal responsibility fit into this?"

"He did the best he could with his limited information and power."

"His actions resulted in the deaths of at least six people, not including his own. If he had just been more honest and open, rather than pushing everyone away and deceiving everyone, things would have ended differently."

"Hindsight is twenty-twenty."

"Hmm?"

"It's an old saying. It is always easier to see where something went wrong after everything bad has already happened. It's much harder to decide what to do in the moment. Put yourself in Hamlet's shoes. He is eaten away with grief by the death of his father. And his mother has entered into an incestuous marriage with his uncle. Hamlet's probably disgusted with the world on so many different levels. Then, he encounters a being that could be his father or could be a demon, telling him that he must murder Claudius, who aside from being his uncle is the king of Denmark. Or look at his actions toward Ophelia. He is probably in love with her and believed that she loved him. Then, on the advice of her brother and father, she draws away from him. He is surrounded by phonies, so he's isn't able to speak with anyone about what is going on inside his head for fear that they will stop his plan to take his revenge on Claudius. I wouldn't be surprised if Hamlet had been a little crazy."

"His decisions seemed to be fueled more by hate and loathing than insanity."

"Could you really blame him? All the people he looked up to or admired had behaved wrongfully towards him, used him, or betrayed him. And he was living under the supervision of the man he despised."

"I saw that, but it was more than that. He seemed to be fueled by hatred of himself and despair."

Bruce looked at her as he contemplated her last statement, before cautiously asking, "What makes you say that?"

As she prepared to give her answer, Diana subconsciously leaned in toward him. Bruce forced himself not to draw back. "The king represents all of his subjects, and in a certain sense, all people, right?"

"Yes."

"And the king is supposed to be the best and wisest of the Danish people. But instead, he's rotten through and through. The same can be said for the queen, his mother. And if the rulers are evil, the rest of the subjects must be that way as well. At least, that is what I think Hamlet believed. His dissatisfaction with his mom and uncle made him view everything through a distorted lens. One despicable act of his uncle and one faithless deed by his mother, and Hamlet despairs of everyone. And Hamlet is human too, so he can't escape his own hatred. You heard him speak of his cowardice and lack of will to do what needed to be done. And the whole committing suicide thing is another indication of his hopelessness."

"He didn't commit suicide. He was poisoned by Laertes during a swordfight."

Diana bluntly intoned, "Hamlet was dead long before he actually stopped breathing."

Interested in her assessment, Bruce asked, "Why?"

"What kind of life can be lived if you hate yourself and look at everyone as instruments that will bring pain and disappointment? Or, if you view yourself as the only human who has the responsibility to stop the suffering and injustice? He has the honor and protection of his country and the expectations of his father weighing down on him. And I wouldn't be surprised if his conscience weighed down on him heaviest of all. He doesn't know how to deal with it."

Bruce thought she was making some salient points, but needed to explore her take on _Hamlet_ further. "How do you think he dealt with it?"

"Withdrawal. Look at what he said to Ophelia. Instead of asking her why her feelings for him had changed or telling her about his love, he tells her to go join a convent, to withdraw from the world, because if she were to stay in it, she would just perpetuate its evil and be ruined by it. I know he was acting as if he were insane, but he wasn't crazy, and I think he believed what he was saying to her was true, because it is exactly what he did in the play. He drove everyone away and lived in complete mental isolation. He pushed away every bit of good in his life, because he was convinced that the world and himself were thoroughly awful. And even if he thought there was goodness out there, I doubt he would have let himself experience it until he had done his duty to his father. And every time he pushed another person away, it was like he was dying a little death. He might have been alive, but he was barely living."

The way Diana was looking at him unnerved Bruce. Her unflinching blue eyes gazed into his, and it was if she were seeing straight through him. Feeling vulnerable and under attack, Bruce reacted in the only way he knew how. "For someone who sacrifices her time and energy to deal with the seedier side of life, I'm surprised that you find fault with him for that."

"What I do is completely different."

There was nothing smug about the way she was looking at him, but the confidence with which she spoke those words annoyed him. "I don't see the difference. When was the last time you have ever done anything for yourself?"

"I do it all the time. Every instance I train or deal with the problems in Man's World, I am benefiting myself. Whenever I am called into action, I am giving up a piece of myself, but it's the part of me that I don't want:--selfishness. I don't lose myself in helping others. I am becoming more like the person I should be--the person I want to be. That is very different from what Hamlet did. He gave up everything that could bring him happiness, because he either wants to punish himself or he doesn't think that joy exists for him. What I do is to better prepare myself for happiness by removing those things that would ruin it. I am convinced that there is something better not only inside of myself, but in the people I am helping, as well. Hamlet didn't have that hope. Do you see the difference?"

If Bruce did, he wasn't yet willing to concede. Outwardly, he looked as calm as ever, but Diana felt the chill behind his words. "It's easy for you to say. Hamlet lived in the king and queen's palace and had to deal with the sources of his misery every day. He didn't have the luxury of escaping the madness that surrounded him, like you do, so he had to put up his own barriers."

Diana should have expected this. As she dug deeper with Bruce, she knew he would grow more difficult, but it still hurt her. She tried to keep her voice even and her posture relaxed as she answered him. "I'm down here often enough to know of the suffering and evil of Man's World."

"I'm sure it doesn't look so bad from up in your Watchtower."

Again, Diana tried reigning in her emotions as she spoke to him. "I don't appreciate you trivializing my struggle with the depravity I find here."

His past vows to make her happy were forgotten; Bruce couldn't refrain from lashing out at her. His eyes narrowed slightly as he sized up the woman before him. In a very cold voice, he observed, "I must have stumbled on some truth or you wouldn't be so upset with me."

But instead of closing off to him or getting angry, Diana surprised Bruce by quietly saying, "Bruce, if you want me to be open with you about something this personal, perhaps you should stop being so caustic. I can't be vulnerable with you if I feel like you are trying to hurt me."

Stung by her words, he looked at Diana. With the little bit of remaining daylight, Bruce noticed the sadness in her eyes. Hating that he was the source of the pain he saw there, the words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. "I don't want to hurt you."

Echoing the soft tones of his voice, Diana answered, "I know…" To keep Bruce's thoughts from turning dark, she grinned at him as she said, "… and I forgive you."

He raised his eyebrows as he archly said, "I didn't say I was sorry."

"You don't have to. I know you are." Diana reached across the grass and took Bruce's hand in hers, and his fingers tightened around hers as she continued. "I never said it was easy. I understand his struggles and the thoughts of despair. The anger that I have to be called in to fix other people's problems. The hatred of the evil people do to each other. I just don't allow myself to dwell on it."

"Does that make those feelings and thoughts go away?"

"Most of the time."

"And the other times?"

Diana looked straight at Bruce, as she told him the answer to her problems. "I force myself to focus on that which gives me hope."

"I don't want to offend you, but it sounds like a form of escapism—you basically think happy thoughts." He sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. He wasn't finished, but he couldn't look at her as he shared his unbelief. "You don't live down here, so you can't understand what it's like. As soon as your job is finished, you can retreat to your Watchtower."

But Diana wasn't offended at all. She squeezed his hand, hoping that Bruce would look back at her. She didn't speak until he had. "I think Hamlet's way of dealing with problems is the true form of escapism. He places distance between himself and everyone, thinking that that will solve his problems. My way is the more difficult way. It's more than wishful thinking, Bruce. I may be romantic and idealistic, but I don't dismiss the truth to make things easier for myself. That would be living a lie, and it would be dishonorable. Just because life can be disappointing, does not mean that it has nothing wonderful to offer. I try to find the good, and take the bad that comes with it, not dismiss everything offhand to protect myself. Besides, I can't compartmentalize my life like that. What happens on earth continues to affect me no matter where I am—whether in the Watchtower or not. It is very close to my heart, and I am greatly affected and troubled by the things that occur in Man's World... it is so very different from Themyscira." When she first began speaking, her voice was even and calm, but as she went on, Diana grew quieter and quieter, until her last sentence was barely above a whisper.

As it was now very dark and most of the people had left a while ago, Bruce felt safe enough to perform his next action. Drawing Diana into his arms, he brought his lips lightly to her temple. She leaned back into his embrace and closed her eyes as Bruce spoke to her. "If I could change it for you, Princess, I would."

Diana sighed as she considered what it would have been like to change the past. She had often thought about it before, especially in the sorrowful weeks that had followed her exile. But no one could change the past, and even if they could, she wasn't sure that was the best solution. What mattered was the present. "It's better that I was banished. If I didn't go through the pain, I never would have understood it. And if I didn't understand it, I never would have been able to truly help Man's World. And I probably wouldn't be here with you...this is where I want to be."

She felt his arms tighten around her as he drew her nearer, but he didn't say anything.

A few minutes later, he finally spoke. "Well, since I can't give you Themyscira, what else do you want?"

"I'm more interested in knowing what Bruce Wayne wants."

"I'm a billionaire."

"What an evasive answer. I suppose that's your way of saying that you can buy anything you want."

"We both know that money can't buy everything."

"But those gifts that can't be bought can always be given."

"And what gifts might those be?"

Diana turned around in his arms and tentatively brought her lips to his. He was just beginning to enjoy the softness of her lips, when she ended the brief show of affection. Though he could no longer see her, he felt her hands as she brought them to rest on either side of his face.

"Very nice gifts, but I can't tell you about them until at least the sixth date. It's another of my rules."

"You and your rules. If I knew them, I would break every single one of them."

"That's why I never told all of them to you."

Bruce leaned in to kiss her again, but stopped when she began to speak. "I thought of something I want, Bruce."

"Yes?"

"Food! I'm starving."

He flashed her a smile in the dark, before standing up and pulling her to her feet. "I know just the place."

* * *

**To Be Continued**

* * *

Sorry it took so long to update. I had read Hamlet before, but that was for school. As I had no reason to do it this time, except to write this chapter, I lost my motivation many a time. I'd rather watch Shakespeare than read it. I hope I put enough of the plot into this chapter to make Diana and Bruce's conversation discernible, but not so much plot that the recounting is boring. 

With any analogy you use, there will always be a breakdown. I realize that there isn't a 100 percent correlation between Bruce and Hamlet, but there was enough of a comparison, that I thought it could be used to advance the dialog between Bruce and Diana. I also realize that I overlooked the role of Horatio, Hamlet's confidante in the play. I maintain that Horatio didn't know what Hamlet was going through. So even though he provided a listening ear to Hamlet, he couldn't have truly understood what was going on through the prince's mind.

And as for Diana's comment that joining a convent is actually the same as withdrawing from the world. I don't actually believe nuns are doing that, but I think the character of Hamlet saw it as a means of escape. I hope no one was offended.

Diana and Bruce have dealt with her banishment before in another of my stories, A Grief Observed, specifically chapter 2. In my mind, that story came before this one, so this is something they've talked about before.

* * *

Thank you everyone for your reviews. I find them very encouraging. 

To that reviewer who wears their own batmask...

Oh my favorite one and only West Ham Fan, I'm so glad that you have returned. Congratulations on thrashing Middlesborough. At first, I didn't know who to root for, but once you put in that third goal, I figured I might as well go with you. Plus, you no longer have two of the players I disliked- Mr.s Reo-Coker and Harewood. But you have Bellamy, so I'm still up in the air about that. And hasn't C. Ronaldo been wonderful. (It's more of a statement than an actual question, so you needn't answer. ) Thanks so much for the compliment. I'm glad you are enjoying the story, and I hope you liked the ending of their date.


	10. Conflict Resolution

Disclaimer: I own nothing pertaining to this story.

I'm sorry it's been taking me so long to write these latest chapters. I should be faster on the upcoming ones, as they are pretty much written. At this point, there should only be 4 or 5 chapters left. Thanks for reading this far.

As always, thanks Kipples-Northington. You are the bestest! And 8.5 out of 10 role players are in agreement. One of them is HC, so really it's like 9.5 out of 10. :-(.

* * *

Until Somebody Loses

Chapter X:

Conflict Resolution

* * *

Diana woke in the morning and soon remembered all that had happened the previous night. Bruce had taken her to his favorite restaurant, and they had stayed there for hours, eating, talking, laughing—just enjoying life and each other. For the first time since she had started this whole thing, she felt as if she had some proof that Bruce was beginning to fall for her and that this could work. 

She should have been extremely happy. Unfortunately, all she could feel was suspicion and worry. She hated that her progress with Bruce seemed to go hand in hand with anxiety.

_Life is difficult. Why would you think a romantic relationship would be any different?_

That very thought gave her a moment's pause. She was in a relationship with Bruce.

It was what she had wanted for so long, but not under these conditions.. It all seemed so dishonest. She wanted him to know her, to be open and honest with him, but instead she was hiding things. It had to be this way for now, but she didn't want to entrap Bruce; she wanted to love him, and she was sure that involved full disclosure. Her mind was also preyed upon by the thought that the further she got with Bruce, the more he would feel betrayed when she told him that she had known all along. She had joked about the size of his ego before; he wouldn't appreciate having been played. But more importantly, he wouldn't trust her, and that idea was the worst of all.

Her stomach tensed as she considered the thought of losing him, especially after growing so close to him. Perhaps she hadn't been as careful as she could have been, though she had still been moving slowly. But some things had happened more quickly than she had planned for. She should have foreseen it. Everything had already been put in place for it to happen. She was attracted to him. She appreciated, respected, and trusted him. And now she loved him.

She loved the way he teased her and the way he made her feel when he held her; even his misguided attempts to protect had somehow grown endearing to her. But most of all, she loved his nobility of heart. There was so much he did in secret that would never see the light of day, and he never asked for thanks. How many people had benefited from his generosity and sacrifice? Surely, millions and yet not one of them would ever really know how much they were indebted to him. To them, Bruce Wayne was just a fool, and Batman merely an urban legend. But _she_ knew, and she welcomed the love she felt for him as a natural and just response to his bravery and character.

As she thought of the worthiness of the object of her affection, she vowed not to let doubt and fear deter her from fighting for him. While this was all new territory for her, she would draw on her confidence as a warrior to bring this task to its finish. Whatever that ending was, she wouldn't have to wait very long. She only had one date left before she revealed everything.

After eating breakfast and performing her morning rituals and League duties, Diana made her way to the conference room with new resolve, though she still felt slightly shaken. Earlier in the morning, Superman had called an impromptu meeting of the League for noon, and she was running late.

Diana was the last one to enter the room. While this was an unusual occurrence, it normally wouldn't have bothered her. However, as it was coupled with the curious stares of the other Leaguers, it made her feel uneasy. As she looked at their faces, she could see that Superman looked agitated, maybe even a little angry. Batman was the only one who wouldn't look at her. If she hadn't known better, she would never have believed that this cold, emotionless man was the same person who had been so affectionate and warm with her last night.

"Good of you to join us, Wonder Woman."

Diana didn't respond to Superman's cold greeting, silently taking the vacant seat next to Batman. She looked over at him, but he wouldn't acknowledge her. Her eyes slowly traveled down to the newspaper he held in his hands. She soon realized that the same article was in the hands of everyone seated at the table, and was most likely the reason for the meeting. Suddenly, her face grew quite warm.

Superman held the newspaper out to Diana. "Care to explain."

Diana took the article from his hand. Staring up at her from the pages of The Gotham Gazette was a picture of Wonder Woman and Bruce Wayne making out in a grove of trees accompanied by the headline: Gotham 's New Power Couple.

Inwardly, she was trembling, but no one would have known it, since she calmly answered, "What's to explain? It's obvious what is going on in that picture."

"Batman, as our representative from Gotham, would you care to explain the problems of a relationship with Bruce Wayne."

Bruce wanted to swear and punch Clark in the face, but instead he looked over at Wonder Woman and recited the numerous reasons why she shouldn't date him.

"He is a liability to you on numerous levels. First, and most importantly, you are putting his life in danger. People will use him to target you and possibly the League. Second, as I've already told you, a heart-broken Amazon who has been trained to despise men would be catastrophic. When he makes you look ridiculous, and he _will_, are you going to be able to control yourself? And third, you're at risk of endangering our working relationship with your constant visits to Gotham . I've already warned you to stay out of my city. Do I need to go on?"

As Diana heard him list off his reasons, her heart twisted within her, but whatever sadness that was coming over her was quickly replaced with anger. Some of it was directed at Bruce, but most of her rage was aimed at Superman. To have him make Bruce recount all the reasons why they shouldn't be together was a low tactic. Forcing herself not to worry about whether Bruce actually believed those things for the time being, Diana decided it was now time to set a few things straight.

"No, Batman. That is quite enough." Diana spoke softly and menacingly as she rose from her chair, causing the room to grow quieter than it already was. "Does anyone else have any comments or questions about my personal life?"

She looked at all the others there, scanning their reactions to all that had transpired. Wally was too embarrassed to make eye contact, while Lantern and J'onn looked more surprised than anything. Shayera had a grin on her face, clearly anticipating the verbal or physical beat-down Diana was about to perform. Both Batman and Superman were giving her looks of challenge.

Turning to the Man of Steel, Diana asked, "What did you hope to prove by bringing me in front of everyone and _trying_ to embarrass me?"

Seeing the hurt in her eyes, Superman experienced a twinge of regret, but reminded himself that he was doing this for the benefit of both of them. Bruce obviously wasn't seeing the danger of continuing his social experiment, and Diana needed to be shown how potentially volatile this situation was. "I didn't do this to embarrass you, Diana. I'm trying to help you see that a relationship with Bruce is not good for you."

"Why do you think that you know what is good for me better than I do?"

Not answering her question, Clark continued, ""Do you really think that this can end well? You are such an honest and open person, Diana. You could never understand what his motivations are towards you. He is a rich man who toys with women's hearts to enhance his reputation. Do you really want to be one of the many women left in his wake? Do you think he can actually care for you?"

"If you really wanted to know what I think, you would have asked me _in private_, as a friend. Instead, you are turning my life into some kind of circus. My perso-"

"You did that to yourself by being photographed by the media."

"That's beside the point. This aspect of my personal life is not up for discussion, especially as a matter for the Justice League."

"But Batman has—"

She couldn't prevent the sarcasm from seeping into her voice when she said, "Even the mighty Batman is capable of being wrong. I will do as I think best, and you will never do this again."

Having hoped that it would not get this far, Clark used his last weapon. "What would the Amazons think of you running their name through the mud?"

For a brief moment, Diana's eyes widened in disbelief and hurt before narrowing into two outraged slits. If it were possible, Clark thought, her eyes looked colder than even the lenses in Bruce's cowl. "How dare you even speak their name. They would never have resorted to such low and underhanded tricks. Truly, Superman, I thought you were above that. I'm sorry to see that I was mistaken."

Ignoring both Bruce and Clark, Diana looked at the others around the table. "I'm also sorry that you had to be involved in this ridiculous discussion. If, as I highly doubt, you are actually concerned that I will endanger a civilian, myself, or the League in anyway, please voice your concerns now."

The only hero to speak was Shayera, and all she said was, "Just one question: Is he a good kisser?"

Shayera's question injected some much needed levity into the room, though the only answer Diana gave was to smile widely. Out of the corner of her eye, she sensed Bruce shift slightly in his chair.

Hawkgirl returned her grin. "That's what I thought. Well, I don't have anything else to say; do you guys?"

The Martian Manhunter cleared his throat as he prepared to speak. Again, Diana heard Bruce's nearly imperceptible movements from his place beside her. "Wonder Woman, I could not imagine that the thought of using you has ever entered Bruce Wayne's mind. He must care for you, as anyone who knows you does. While Superman's methods are questionable, we are all here because we want what is best for you. But you are the one who knows what that is, and I know that you will act in a way that brings credit to you, the League, and your Amazon sisters."

"Thank you, J'onn."

When no one said anything further, Diana left the room. Heading directly for the training room, she planned on venting all the anger that was still coursing through her veins. She had wanted to scream and rip Superman in half, maybe even Bruce, but outwardly she had maintained her cool. She didn't need her emotions being used against her. J'onn's kind words had certainly helped, but she needed to channel her roiling emotions into something productive. And satisfying.

Fifteen minutes into her stress-relieving and rather violent workout, she had a visitor. In mid-punch, her main foe had disappeared. In fact, all the simulations had vanished. Someone had turned the program off. She turned around to see the next object of her wrath.

"You've just become my new sparring partner, Batman."

He advanced towards her, throwing a smoke bomb at the ground once he was within three feet of her. Diana temporarily lost where he was, but soon found him, as he had wrapped his arm around her neck, putting her in a choke hold from behind. "So, Princess, you think I'm wrong?"

Unable to speak in her current position, she bent over, pulling Bruce overhead and flinging him onto the floor. He was now on his back and she walked over to him and stared down at him.

"It wouldn't be the first time."

Batman was quickly on his feet and swung out one of his legs from his crouching stance; Diana's legs were wiped out from under her and she fell to the floor. Placing one knee on the ground and the other on her stomach, he leaned down close to her face and asked, "Why this one?"

She moved her arm furthest from him, as if she were trying to strike him, but he simply pinned it down. As he had to overextend himself to do it, she was able to use her other arm to push his leg out from under him, causing him to fall across her. She swiftly reversed their positions. Looking down on him, she asked, "Why not?"

Indicating that she wanted to know his real reasons, she got off of him and sat down cross-legged beside him. He began to move, but Diana placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Really, Batman, why not? You are a man. As a man, tell me why I shouldn't pursue it. I will listen to what you have to say."

"You're asking me for relationship advice?"

"You are always saying you know everything." In a more serious manner Diana said, "I respect your opinion."

He kept his position on the ground, bringing his two hands behind his head as he gazed up at her. She could tell he was almost smiling as he answered, "Even the 'mighty Batman' doesn't know everything when it comes to dating. And, you know much less than I do. That should be cause for concern in itself."

"But how am I supposed to learn if I don't actually put myself out there?"

"The real problem is that the someone you chose has a greater potential of hurting you than everyone else."

"Do you really think he would try to hurt me?"

"He would be stupid to. You'd break him in half."

"You must know a lot about him. Someone that important in Gotham wouldn't escape your notice or surveillance. Honestly, do you really think he is the type of man who will hurt me?"

"Based on what is said in the media, I wouldn't doubt it. Maybe not in the way Superman thinks he will, but he would still end up causing you pain."

Diana looked wistfully at him. "I like him… a lot. And I don't want this to end. I've told you this before, but I think he is putting on an act for those people. When he is around me, he is very intelligent, caring, and sweet. Wonderful, even." Diana let out a quiet sigh and looked down at him. "I suppose that could be an act too, but it doesn't feel like it."

"Diana, no one would have to pretend to like you. I'm sure that what he feels for you is genuine."

He watched as she absorbed this information. A soft smile played at her lips, and unbeknownst to Diana, Bruce fought the urge to touch them. But all too quickly a frown came over her face. She brought a hand up and distractedly ran it through her hair. When she didn't say anything, Bruce reached out and gently touched her knee, causing her to look at him. "What is it?"

"Do you think Superman's right? That I am dishonoring my sisters?"

"You'd know that better than me, but I don't think your behavior is inconsistent with what I know of the Amazons. They are hunters with a take-no-prisoners attitude. You're just going after what you want."

"A man."

The corner of his mouth twitched wryly. "It's different."

"Do you think I'm foolish for wanting him so badly?"

By the pensive way she asked the question, he could tell that she was beginning to doubt her pursuit of Wayne . He should have used this moment of weakness to drive home the evils of a relationship with him, but he couldn't. All he ended up saying was, "Maybe you are slightly blinded by what you are feeling for him, but you are not foolish."

For Diana, it seemed as if all the lines were blurring. Remembering their closeness the other night and wanting to experience that again, she laid her hand on his chest, feeling the slow, even rhythm of his heart beneath her palm. "Would you hurt me?"

He sat up and brought his hand up to hers. He let it rest there for a few seconds before slowly removing her fingers from his chest. "Diana…I'm only human. Eventually, I would."

"Maybe I'm asking the wrong question. I should expect to be hurt; that's just part of life, and I would hurt you too. I think it's more important that I would try to be good to you and for you. Would you be good to me?"

It was too much for Bruce; he shouldn't have let the conversation go this far, and all that was left for him to do was make a curt response and leave. Again, harsh words failed him. He stood up to his feet, bringing her with him. "If you really wanted Bruce Wayne, you wouldn't be asking me those questions."

"Maybe I want you both."

"I can tell, but most men don't like sharing. It's insulting to think that a woman who is interested in them likes another man too."

At this Diana laughed. "You sound just like Bruce. Always trying to give me silly dating advice."

"He's right."

"Of course you would think that." She gave him an amused grin followed by a quick peck on his cheek. "Thank you for speaking with me, Batman. Let me know if you change your mind about sharing. I am sure that Bruce is open-minded enough to allow a third person in our relationship. Based on what is said in the media, I wouldn't doubt it. He'd probably like it."

As she walked out of the room, it was his turn to smile.

* * *

When Diana opened the door to her room, she saw that she was not alone. 

"Superman." She nodded stiffly at him in greeting.

Rising from his seat, he said, "I came here to apologize for what I did earlier."

Diana shut the door and turned to face him. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at the unwelcome visitor. "Why did you do that? I won't pretend that you didn't hurt me, because you did."

Superman hung his head down embarrassedly. "I know, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen that way, and I never should have said those things."

"Why did you do it?"

"You have to believe me Diana, if you continue seeing Bruce, you will experience much more pain than what happened today, and I wanted to prevent that. I know him better than you; I know what he's really like. You're right. He isn't the type who is going to use you in that way. He's different from that, but he will still use you."

Trying to be as vague as possible, Diana attempted to broach the subject of Batman's identity. "I have the feeling that there is something you aren't telling me."

"I can't tell you any more than that."

"Why? Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you. Trust has nothing to do with it."

"At least not between me and you. What are you hiding for him?

"I can't go into specifics. All I can tell you is that even though he won't want to do it, Bruce Wayne will end up having to end whatever it is the two of you have, and I don't want to see you get crushed by that."

"Superman, I already know."

"Did he tell you?"

"No. I figured it out myself."

"What is it?"

"If you don't already know, and I tell you, you cannot tell anyone."

Superman looked at her suspiciously, but nodded his head in assent.

"I know that he's a superhero."

Superman chuckled at the reveal. "Bruce Wayne? A superhero? There's no way. Unless he's Superbachelor." Clark tried not to wince at the words that were coming out of his mouth.

Diana smiled patronizingly at him, her suspicions confirmed, not that she had any doubts. "Don't lie. You do it as badly as I do."

"Well, if Mr. Wayne is a superhero, who is he?"

"Obviously he is Batman."

Clark looked as if he were going to deny it, but in the end he stopped protesting. It was pointless to lie about it, and it wasn't as if Diana was going to tell anyone. "How did you figure it out?"

"I met Bruce at some charity ball a few weeks ago. There aren't many intelligent, well-built men that I am attracted to, and since they are both from Gotham, I put two and two together."

Unconvinced, Superman stood there, waiting for more of an explanation.

"He asked me to dance with him, and they move the same way. And they have the same strong jaw. And he did something that reminded me of a mission in Gorilla City."

"That time you kissed him?"

Diana hadn't thought that Superman had seen that. Apparently, she had been wrong. "Yes. And now I'm trying to get him to accept me in both areas of his life."

Superman's cheeks puffed out as he slowly exhaled. Taking his seat again, he braced his hands on his knees and said, "You realize he just might hate you for not telling him."

"I am very much aware of that."

"Then why are you doing it?"

For the second time that day, Diana's face flushed pink. When she wouldn't look up at him, Superman cleared his throat and asked, "Do you love him?"

Diana's head snapped up sharply, and she opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. In a very non-Wonder Woman-like manner, she shifted from side to side on her feet. Feeling ridiculous, she forced herself to stand still and look up at Clark. He was grinning from ear to ear. "You do love him!"

Seeing the goofy smile on Superman's face, Diana was finally able to relax. She laughed nervously, but finally verbalized it, "Yes, I love him."

But before things got too sentimental, she remembered something. "Why did you tell Bruce not to date me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know you went and visited him before those pictures were taken. For one of his friends, you don't have much confidence in him. Or in me. Don't you think that he could actually like me?"

"I have no problem believing that he likes you. For all I know, he could love you, too. At this point, nothing would surprise me. But no matter how much he cares for you, Bruce won't allow his feelings to get in the way of being Batman. Eventually, he will see you as a threat, and no matter how much he doesn't want to, he will end it. Bruce lives in self-denial. I don't think he knows anything but that. He believes that the only way he can be Batman is if he is punishing himself and depriving himself of what he really wants."

"It's depressing, isn't it?"

"Yeah. If it were any other man, I'd be congratulating you, but like I said, Bruce will never let anyone, even someone as great as you, deter him from what he thinks is his duty to Gotham and his parents. I'm sorry that it has to be this way."

"Thanks for your advice, Superman, but I'm going to keep believing that he wants things to be different and is capable of changing. And I think I can show him that he doesn't have to give up anything by allowing me into his life."

"Well, I wish you luck. I hope that you prove me wrong."

"I do too."

Superman rose to his feet and made his way to the door. Diana's voice stopped him just as he reached for the handle. "If you ever call another meeting like that again, I will kill you."

He looked over sheepishly at his friend. She had made her vow lightly, but he could tell she was deathly serious. "I promise I won't butt in any more. I might have another chat with Batman, though."

"It's your funeral."

"Maybe not this time. I plan on apologizing to him and pointing out the advantages of being in a relationship."

Diana looked curiously at the Man of Steel. "You have a significant other?"

Now it was Clark's turn to blush. "Sort of. And a secret identity, too, but I'll tell you all about it next time."

"I look forward to it. And one more thing, don't tell him I know. He's going to find out very soon."

"I won't. Scout's honor."

As soon as the door shut behind him, Diana sank onto her bed. She felt drained, but at the same time grateful that she had someone to talk with about this area of her life. Things felt different, more concrete, now that she had vocalized her feelings. There was certainly no turning back now. And though her secrecy was coming to an end, Diana was pleasantly surprised by the sense of hope that was pervading her heart. She just prayed that her hope was not misplaced.

* * *

To Be Continued

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I hope you enjoyed this latest installment. Let me know your thoughts. Happy Thanksgiving! 


	11. In Dust and Ashes

Disclaimer: I don't anything.

Thanks to the magnificent KN the Third. Thanks for reading over this chapter multiple times. I'm sure it was torturous considering all the BCBW (yup, I brought it out!). :D A special thanks to Hepburn, as well, for making sure I didn't do anything criminal in this chapter.

* * *

Until Somebody Loses

Chapter XI:

In Dust and Ashes

* * *

Three days had passed since Diana's tête-à-tête with Bruce in the training room. She hadn't seen him since then, but in the interim, she had been thinking about how she would break her news to him. The inspiration had not yet struck, and Diana had fallen asleep searching for it. 

She was awoken around one in the morning with an urgent message from J'onn. Pulling on her uniform as quickly as possible, she met Flash and Green Lantern in the hallway as they all rushed to reach the Transportation Room.

They were met by the Martian Manhunter, whose mouth was set in a grim line. "There has been a fire in Gotham, and the firefighters are struggling to contain it. Your job is to help put it out and evacuate the survivors." He solemnly added, "If there are any."

The three heroes nodded their heads in understanding and prepared to go to Gotham. As Diana walked toward the platform, J'onn's voice resounded in her head.

_Forgive the intrusion, but the building in question was the orphanage you visited with Bruce Wayne._

_Why are you telling me this, J'onn?_

_I know that you are aware of Batman's identity. It doesn't look as if there are any survivors._

_And you want me to talk to him?_

_What you do with this information is up to you, but I sense his soul is in great turmoil. _

Diana tried not to let J'onn see her reaction to this information, but he saw right through her.

_I truly hope that you succeed in helping Bruce. More than anyone, he could use some light in his life. _

Diana gave her friend a thankful and hopeful look as she joined the others on the platform.

They materialized fifty feet away from the fire, but even from there Diana could feel the heat on her skin. As they quickly took in the situation, they heard a crash and watched as a large black object fell to the ground.

Batman had burst through one of the windows, carrying something in his arms. He yelled at one of the emergency workers, who rushed over to him. She heard him say "This one's still breathing," before he handed the child over and ran back into the building.

Flash raced after him into the fiery country house. He soon returned, looking slightly singed. In a subdued tone the unhappy speedster said, "There aren't any survivors."

The people on the scene responded with sighs and shouts of anger. Losing anyone always hurt, but the fact that most of the deceased were children compounded everyone's frustration and sorrow.

John stepped forward, putting his arm on the younger man's shoulder. "Well, let's at least stop the fire. Diana, get Batman out of there."

By now, the whole bottom floor of the house was engulfed in flames, so Diana entered through a window on the second floor. It was eerily quiet, and the silence was made even more frightening by the dense black fog that enveloped her. Walking blindly through the darkness, she shouted Batman's name over and over. Her breathing quickened as she imagined Bruce trapped and helpless somewhere in the large house, but every time she pulled oxygen into her lungs, she began to choke on the decay and debris of the fire.

"Hera, help me," she pleaded.

Finally, her ears picked up on someone coughing, and she broke through the walls to reach him. She found Bruce leaning against a wall, fumbling with his oxygen mask. Diana grabbed him with two strong arms and forcibly removed him from the house.

He struggled against her, but she held on tightly. That only seemed to increase his fury. "Put me down. NOW!"

In a voice just as angry, Diana stated, "Batman, there are no survivors."

"You don't know that."

"Yes. I do. Flash went through the house. They're dead. All of them."

He still kept fighting her as she touched down very near the trees Bruce had led her to days ago. It was quite a ways away from the house, so she felt safe to let him go.

He turned two unfeeling eyes on her, and from the narrowing of the slits in his cowl, she could tell that underneath the mask, Bruce was still furious. "Why did you do that?"

"So you wouldn't die."

He didn't have a response for that, so he continued to glare at her.

Diana had better things to do then continue the staring contest. "I'm going to go back and help Flash and Green Lantern. Stay here."

He opened his mouth to argue but Diana held up her hand. "Not now." Without sparing him another glance, she flew back toward the inferno.

When Flash had seen Diana and Batman exit the building, he began to race around the large house, gaining speed with every revolution. Pretty soon, he had created a vacuum. Without oxygen to feed its flames, the fire quickly died out.

Diana returned to John just as Wally had extinguished the flames. In hollow tones, John said, "Nice work." The Green Lantern had been the one to tell Wally to snuff out the fire, and he had given the command for Diana to get Batman out of the burning building, but he didn't have the strength to issue the next order. So Flash said it for him. "We need to go in and get the bodies."

John shook his head in confirmation.

With heavy hearts, the three heroes trudged into the scorched abode.

The three-story mansion had two wings. John took the bottom floor, while Diana went to the upper floors of the East Wing and Flash walked to the West.

As Diana grimly climbed up the stairs, she couldn't help but think of what this house had looked like and signified just days before. Everything now was lost and broken.

She entered the first room and observed the children lying in their beds. It was as if they were still asleep. She moved methodically and as quickly as possible from room to room, gathering the small bodies and walking all the way back to the outside of the house to deposit them on the lawn. All the while, she petitioned her gods to bring peace to the departed and those left to deal with their deaths. In spite of her prayers, waves of anger and sadness washed over her as she stared at their faces, some of which she had seen laughing and smiling just days before.

She forced herself to swallow her tears as she trekked down the barren halls. That was until she entered a room whose walls were painted purple. Unbidden sobs fought for release as she lifted a young girl's body from her bed. As Wonder Woman held Lisa in her arms, her eyes fell upon the crown of flowers she and Bruce had given the girl only days ago. But there were still so many bodies to move. With her heart breaking, Diana wiped her eyes and moved Lisa outside and searched for her brother's body. When she found Scott, she laid them next to each other.

Then she had to go back into the building.

When their horrific work was finished, Flash and Diana stood on the lawn, looking down on the fallen, waiting for Lantern.

After receiving the all-clear from the fire investigators, John brought out two bodies charred past recognition—one large, the other small. He used his ring to carry them out, and the green glow that surrounded them made the grotesque picture even eerier. As all the living rooms were on the second and third floors, they were the only dead on the first floor, where the fire had broken out. He walked quickly out into the open, wanting to escape the scent of burnt flesh, but it clung to his clothes.

In all, the bodies of fifty-eight men, women, and children were laid out across the front lawn, shrouded with plain white sheets.

As Diana stood looking at the makeshift graveyard, she heard snatches of conversation around her. It soon became apparent that the flames had been an act of arson.

She sought out one of the investigators and found out that a woman had earlier visited the orphanage and had a run in with the workers there concerning one of the children. It suspected that this woman was the larger body that John had found. The second body with her was much smaller, and they believed it was the child in question.

As they were no longer needed, Lantern moved his hand to his com-link to contact J'onn.

Diana spoke before John could ask to be retrieved. "I think I'm going to stay behind for a while."

John turned two thoughtful eyes on her. "Sure, Diana. We'll see you later."

"Bye, Wondy." The usually irrepressible Flash gave her a wan smile as the two men disappeared before her.

Diana returned to the place where she had left Bruce. Unsurprisingly, he was no longer there. She sank down to the ground and sat there staring blankly ahead. She tried to recall the names of the children she had met before, sought to mourn for them, since they had no one to care for them, but all her sorrow had turned to numbness. As she stared at the now empty house, Diana suddenly felt very sick of this world.

So she took to the skies, leaving the death and ugliness below. Flying higher and higher, till the atmosphere became so thin, she had difficulty breathing. At the top of her flight, she looked down on the city below her. From far away, she could no longer see the house; she could barely see anything. As she slowly descended, the lights of the city came into focus, twinkling underneath. Ribbons of red and white wrapped around Gotham, as the people drove home, unaware of the tragedy she had just walked through. Diana closed her eyes, wishing that she could be just as blissful, just as ignorant.

Her reverie was broken by the sound of her com-link going off. She had asked the authorities to update her with any new information they discovered concerning the fire. Unable to escape any longer, she accepted the transmission, then went searching for Batman.

It wasn't long before she found him.

He was on top of Wayne Tower brooding over Gotham when she touched down next to him. She had a feeling that he wanted to speak to her or just wanted her company. Otherwise, she would never have found him.

He didn't turn to look at her.

Diana didn't know what to do. She was still upset and didn't want to fight with him. So she talked about the one thing that she knew he would be interested in: the case.

"I spoke with the detectives on the scene. They say it was the work of a woman named Amy Martins."

No response.

"She had a prior record for arson, and they think she was the mother of one of the children in the home. One of the workers remembered her trying to take the child, and a struggle ensued. She was shown off the premises, but it appears she returned drunk and..." Diana didn't want to finish the rest.

He finally spoke. "I already know."

Having just exhausted the one topic she thought he felt up to discussing, Diana wracked her brain for something else to say. She didn't want to leave.

She walked over to him and looked down on his city with him.

It seemed like an age before she spoke. "What happened was terrible, but it can be rebuilt."

His voice dripped with derision as he said, "Is that supposed to make me feel better? Wayne could build fifty new orphanages; it won't bring them back."

"You are not responsible for this."

"I know that. I didn't start the fire."

"That doesn't mean you don't feel guilty."

"Stop trying to analyze me."

"I'm not."

"Why are you still here?"

"Did it ever occur to you that I might be hurting too?"

"If you are looking for sympathy, you came to the wrong person. Besides, I'm sure you'll be fine in the morning."

Diana's eyes narrowed as she turned on her would-be comforter. "Just because I don't grieve in the same way as you, just because I don't close myself off and pretend that I am unaffected by everything and everyone around me, doesn't mean that I feel any less than you do."

"And what is that you feel, Princess?" His pet name for her held none of the familiarity and teasing that it normally did.

"Anger. Hate. Disappointment. Sorrow. Weariness." She sighed as she fought for control. "I want things to be different, but it seems like nothing changes, no one changes."

"Some people are beyond helping."

Even though she had basically said that very thing, it sounded false coming from him. She had come to him looking for answers, but she felt he was feeding her lies. "_You_ cannot possibly believe that. Otherwise, you would not work so hard night after night."

"It doesn't seem to be making much of a difference."

She whispered, "I know what you mean."

Diana gazed at the stoic man standing beside her and remembered that she had arrived in Gotham with the intention of giving him comfort. At the back of her mind, she knew he couldn't verbally return the favor; at least, not yet. But as she asked herself why she thought he could give her help, she was able to come up with many reasons, and each one brought the solace she had so hoped for. She doubted the goodness of Man's World, but Bruce's valor and honor were never in question.

She reached for his hand, wrapping her fingers around his, and as she spoke, she gazed up at the stars, which were barely visible due to Gotham's city lights. "It is difficult to see the impact you make when you surround yourself in darkness. You don't get to see all the good you do, because you are so busy dealing with all the criminals who want to destroy your city, your work. You've walked in darkness so long, you have forgotten that there is light."

He didn't say anything to her, but she could see he was thinking over what he had said. His fingers tightened around hers, but he removed his hand from hers when he realized what he was doing.

Diana floated in front of him, standing on air with the streets of Gotham below her. "Not everything is dark."

He finally looked up at her.

Her skin was ashy, her face was spotted with black grime, and her hair was matted and tangled. But her eyes stood in stark contrast to her otherwise forlorn and muted appearance. They were glowing.

She floated closer to him and touched down mere inches from him. He began to stare her down, but she answered his coldness with a fierce hug. As Bruce held onto his light, he closed his eyes, trying to focus on her voice.

"I know you are too courageous to give up, but I also know how depressing it must be for you sometimes. I feel that same way, when I get called on mission after mission. They all start to blend together, so that I cannot tell them apart from each other. And just when I think it couldn't possibly get worse, it always does. Sometimes it seems as if it will never end. But you have to keep fighting, because you give people hope."

He drew away from her and gave her a dubious look. "Most people don't even know that I exist."

She looked into the emotionless white lenses of his cowl and moved her hands to his face. "But _I_ do, and you give me hope." Seeing the pained expression that crossed his face when she said that, she quickly dropped her hands.

She doubted that he would say anything in response to her statement, so when he said, "Thank you," she was more than surprised. Two small words, and yet she felt repaid ten times over for all the effort she had just expended on his behalf.

From behind his cowl, he could see the earnestness and honesty in her eyes. "It's the truth. I just…" Diana trailed off.

He moved his hand to her face, bringing his gauntlet covered fingers to rest in her hair. "What is it?"

Her eyes squinted as if she were having some internal debate. Finally, she spoke her thoughts, "I just want you to be happy."

This elicited a smirk from the Dark Knight as he sarcastically, though not unkindly, replied, "Keep dreaming, Princess."

"I will if you will."

And then he did something she would never have expected. Batman leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. Diana moved her fingers up to the place his lips had been before she became aware of what she was doing. Her hand fell to her side, and her cheeks grew warm. Thankfully, it was dark.

But not dark enough. "How often do Amazons blush?"

"About as often as you make jokes. But, in my defense, it isn't very often that a man kisses an Amazon."

"You make a valid point. Though if your performance in the hotel room was any indication, Amazons kiss men a lot more often than men kiss them."

Diana's head titled to the side, and her cheeks grew even warmer. "No, just me…and just you."

"So no more Bruce Wayne, then?"

Diana shook her head ruefully. The desire to tell him she knew his secret was always there, but in this moment it nearly overpowered her. Good sense, however, won out in the end. "I didn't say that."

"I wonder how people would react if they found out that Wonder Woman, the beacon of truth and light to the world, is a two-timer."

"What is that?"

"A person who dates two different people at the same time, without letting them know."

Diana realized that Bruce had just admitted he considered Batman and her as good as dating, but she kept her delight to herself. "I would hardly call what I am doing two-timing, seeing as I have been honest about my feelings from the beginning. And you two aren't that different from each other. In essentials, you have more in common than you think."

"Care to enlighten me?"

"You are very intelligent; leaders of men and organizations; you are always helping others, and you pretend to be something that you are not."

"Looks like you have us both figured out."

She raised her chin and grinned confidently at him. "I do."

He drew her forcefully to himself and suddenly she didn't look quite so smug. Her eyes widened and her lips parted, but Diana refused to recant. In an assured, though breathless voice, she said, "I do," again.

Bruce roughly brought his mouth to hers. Unlike the time behind the trees, he didn't wait for Diana to grow accustomed to his advances. He just needed to feel something other than emptiness and grief. He needed to feel her. Clinging to her strength, grabbing at her arms, then shoulders, now her back, he threw everything he had at her, hoping that she could see inside of him, hoping that she could handle it.

Diana was ready, easily matching his intensity and fervor. For the first time, she felt confident enough to let her hands rove over his neck and back, finally bringing them to rest on the back of his head, holding him to her.

At some point, their mouths broke apart, both of them needing oxygen. No sooner had his lips left hers, they were on her neck. Still trying to catch his breath, he inhaled and exhaled rapidly against her skin, causing shivers to course down her spine. Thinking that she was cold, he managed to envelop her in his cape, all without breaking contact.

Completely lost in the moment, Diana spoke the name of his nighttime identity, and this broke through his haze. He looked up at her, and Diana's eyes telegraphed her surprise at his abrupt withdrawal, but he mistook it for fear. Realizing how carried away he had become, she watched as he mentally began to retreat. But before he could draw away completely, Diana whispered, "No. Don't leave. Not yet." She didn't wait to see if he was going to comply before she brought her mouth to his again.

This time their hands remained still, hers on his face, his at the base of her back. Slow and soft kisses were exchanged between the pair, both of them wanting to thank the other for helping them through this night, if only for a few minutes. And when this had stopped, they just stood there, holding each other.

As Bruce rested his forehead against hers, Diana closed her eyes, listening to the steady, even breathing of the man supporting her, accompanied by the occasional sound from the streets below. The events of the day finally catching up to her, Diana let out a small yawn and moved her face far enough away from his so she could look into his eyes. Her lips formed a contented smile, and she quietly reminded him, "I still do."

Releasing her, he took a step back and drank in the sight of the woman before him. Giving her a devilish grin, he moved his lips till they were almost touching hers. She closed her eyes as she waited for him to kiss her again.

"No. You don't."

When she didn't feel what had, over the course of the last week, become a very familiar pressure on her mouth, her eyes snapped open, but he had already disappeared.

She looked up at the moon and began to laugh.

Activating her com-link, she said, "J'onn, I'm ready to come back."

When she materialized before the Martian Manhunter, he took in her appearance. After receiving Flash and the Green Lantern, he had expected to see her in a foul or sorrowful mood. Outwardly, she looked terrible, as she was covered with filth from her earlier escapades. But it didn't take a telepath to realize that she was ecstatic. Her face was nearly split in two with a very happy smile.

Mr. J'onzz dryly noted, "I see your conversation with Batman went well."

"Better than even I expected."

"I'm glad to hear that. For the both of you."

"I should go and get cleaned up." And with that the Princess floated to her quarters.

* * *

To Be Continued

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To my reviewers- Thanks for the encouragement. : D. 

For my undercover reviewers.

ly- Thank you for the review. I'm glad that you like it and I appreciate that you took the time to tell me. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

LJP-Thanks for the review. If you think the last chapter was intense, wait until the next one. It will probably fall flat, LOL, but I'm trying to "bring it" in chapter 12. Fingers crossed and all that.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed. Please review. Thanks. 


	12. To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, and I'm not making money off of this.** : C**

Thanks, KN, for your beta and encouragement. I know I usually give you something inane, like HC or some other combination of letters that you always seem to figure out; today you get something of substance! Here's your pear and remote control. Virtual, of course. Enjoy!

I did end up changing some things after she sent this back to me, so if there are some mistakes in here blame me. **:D**

There should only be one more chapter, two at the most, after this one. Thanks for sticking it out this long.

* * *

**Until Somebody Loses**

**Chapter XII:**

**To Sleep, Perchance to Dream**

* * *

When Bruce entered the Batcave, the first thing he did was walk to the bathroom. His face had been blackened by the soot of the fire, so when he removed his cowl, he appeared upside down and inverted. _How fitting_. He felt as disoriented as he looked. 

After removing the rest of his clothes, he stepped into the shower, enjoying the way the grime fell off his skin and disappeared down the drain. Feeling thoroughly cleansed, he stepped out of the shower, changed into a t-shirt and sweatpants, and began the upward climb into the manor.

In spite of the darkness of that night, he could only think of Diana. Even though he hadn't shown it, Bruce was glad when she showed up. He had spent those days since their meeting in the training room missing her. His encounter with death that night had only served to heighten those feelings, though he didn't realize that until his anger had subsided.

Bruce had never intended for her to get this far, and he knew he should never have opened himself up to her, but he had. It was foolish to be so reliant on her, but it would be even more foolish to deny that she had helped him. Neither could he deny that those moments of honesty above the streets of Gotham had felt right. It had been more than him using her to gratify some physical or emotional need of his. He had taken from her, but he had also given her something back. And the most amazing thing of all, to his mind, was that she had gladly received it. She had experienced his anger, frustration, and emptiness. She had seen into him, and she had not rejected him.

He walked into his study and sat in the high-backed chair that faced his parent's portrait. The artist's depiction of the couple clashed with Bruce's memories of them. In this particular rendering of their likenesses, they looked regal, but to the point of austerity. The painter had sought to capture all the authority that the blue-blooded family possessed, and he had certainly accomplished it.

The gracious lady was a far cry from the mother who would finger paint with him, write and read stories for him, take him on walks, and kiss his owies. The dignified man staring down imperiously at him oozed with power, but Bruce knew Thomas Wayne's influence did not come through a harsh outer appearance. Bruce had striven to win his father's approval because he was his dad, his hero. There wasn't anything he couldn't do. No problem that Bruce's parents couldn't solve. But not even they could overcome death, and he needed their counsel right now.

So he turned to the next best thing—his memories of them. Bruce had been too young before they were murdered for them to talk about love with him. But he had always seen them acting affectionately—always kissing or hand holding. They even had annoying pet names for each other. Being eight years old, he had reached the age where he knew he was supposed to be disgusted by it, but underneath it all, he delighted in seeing his parents happy and in love. He could never forget their commitment to each other. His parents' devotion to each other and to him had been crystallized that night, when they had died trying to protect him.

Bruce knew that most of his thoughts on romance were based on idealized memories of his parents. It had been over twenty years, and no one's memories could survive the passage of time in pristine condition. He was sure he had added little embellishments along the way, but it never seemed a stretch to believe that his parents possessed the best and truest of loves. He could think of no two people who deserved it more than them, so he didn't feel guilty if perhaps he painted their love in grander strokes than it deserved.

This was the picture of love he carried with him. It was perfect and exacting, but he wanted nothing less. He had never really questioned his impossibly high standards, because he knew that love wasn't an option for him. Furthermore, his unrelenting requirements kept him safe from any woman who had tried to gain his favor.

But he hadn't anticipated someone like Diana. Who would have? There wasn't another creature that was birthed from clay and imbued with all the blessings of her gods and goddesses. He couldn't really be blamed.

Bruce knew that he had developed a soft spot for Diana almost as soon as she arrived from Themyscira. She seemed so innocent that he thought it unnecessary to put up his usual defenses. In some ways, he had felt like an older brother to her, and he had wanted to protect her, just like any brother would. And so he had taken her under his wing.

He would watch over her on the battlefield and keep tabs on her when she was off-duty, as well. It wasn't that he didn't trust her; it was everyone else. She was too trusting, and he wouldn't let her be taken advantage of.

But as he watched over her, he soon realized that she didn't need an older brother. She was an adult woman, capable of fighting her own battles. She could look after herself.

He had also realized that he had mistaken her purity for innocence. Innocence knew no evil, but purity saw evil for what it was and hated it. Hated it so much that it would stop at nothing until all was right in the world. And that's what Diana did, selflessly taking on the problems of Patriarch's World. She had a heart of gold, and, having dealt with so many treacherous people in the past, Bruce knew the true value of it.

So from being his little sister, Diana became his respected comrade. He still kept his eye on her, but only to watch her back. Apart from J'onn, he worked best with Diana. She could be overbearing, too idealistic, stubborn and cold, but so could he. The frigid and domineering attitude everyone easily saw in his demeanor, but what they didn't know is that he was just as idealistic, if not more, as her. And her ideals, which many criticized as unattainable and exacting, were not that different from his own.

He spoke of pragmatism, and he worked in gray areas and ethical shadows, but the anger that everyone associated with him came from the fact that everyone and everything left him wanting, including his very self. Nothing was good enough; no one was good enough. Where she still had faith that her ideals could be made real to the masses, he had given up, accepting that, though his ideals existed, they would never be lived up to. His gravity and inflexibility were balanced by her warmth and cooperative nature, though he knew how little credit she received for either.

Diana seemed like a goddess to so many, and they placed her on a pedestal—unknowingly creating a mental distance that she had never desired. And from their vantage point, it seemed like she was always looking down on them--a snotty little princess who was frigid and unfeeling. Bruce knew it was an unjust portrayal. Though he had never seen her break her moral code, he had witnessed her heart break many times for her fellow man and woman.

For so tenderhearted a person, Bruce was always surprised by how very little she did to keep from getting hurt. With her it was always trust first, ask questions later. Not so with him. He knew that a safe heart was an unbroken one. And so he purposely erected barriers around his, adding fortification upon fortification, until it was almost impenetrable.

Almost.

And now he saw where he had made his mistake. As a little sister, a comrade, and a warrior, he was immune to her. Never expecting an attack, he had dropped his guard, all the while forgetting that, first and foremost, Diana was a woman. And somewhere along the way, he had forgotten that he wasn't Mr. Wayne or Batman, but only a man himself, and a broken one at that.

He had nothing to offer her, and Diana deserved everything.

But he couldn't let her go just yet.

As he looked at his parents' faces watching over him, he knew he wanted what they had and he wanted it with Diana. She was the epitome of everything he had ever dreamt of for himself. He knew that he was wishing for the impossible and that the reality never lived up to the dream, but for tonight he would follow Diana's lead and live in hope. Tomorrow he would push her away. But tonight he mulled over everything he adored about her. Called forth every detail he could remember about her. Reveled in the feelings she produced within him. Allowed himself to wish that she were there with him.

Eventually, Bruce fell asleep thinking of the woman of his dreams.

* * *

Rushing out into the night, Bruce made sure not to run past the sound of the footsteps that trailed behind him. The theater had seemed so cramped and confining that he was glad to be out in the fresh air. 

"Bruce, don't get too far ahead," a female voice called out in the dark.

"I won't."

He paused a moment to look up at the sky, marveling at the stars above him. He was about to point out something he had just learned in school about the night lights, when he heard a slight rustling from a darkened corner in the alley.

Two loud bangs cracked the peaceful silence that had surrounded him, followed by two speeding projectiles that whizzed past him.

He hesitated to follow their trajectories, horror and dread filling his insides as he thought about what he would find. In the millisecond it took him to turn, ages seemed to pass by. He was no longer the little eight year old boy. He was now a grown man, and it was not his parents who had just died. He turned around just in time to see Diana's body thrown back into the air, her heart pierced through with the bullets.

Forgetting about the shadows, Bruce ran to Diana. She lay motionless on the fetid alley's floor. The filth of the street sullied the pristine white dress she was wearing. And then there was the blood. The red liquid poured forth from the middle of her chest. He put his hands on her to staunch the bleeding, but he knew it was too late. There was no heartbeat beneath his hands. The eyes he loved so much, that loved him, held nothing for him and nothing in them. Her life was draining out of her, and death had taken all the warmth from her once beautiful eyes. He touched her face, forgetting the sticky fluid that covered his hands. Too late he realized that he had stained her once unmarred, perfect face.

Bruce opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. He gathered her into his arms, desperately trying to clean her face. This wasn't right. He knew it, the world knew it. The stars refused to give off their light, the moon turned blood red. Even the skies began to mourn with him, shedding tears with the sobbing Bruce. He held on to her tightly, but death had already taken her far away from him.

And soon even her lifeless body disappeared. The ground in front of him began to rumble and break, shaking him so much that he let go of her body, only for it to fall away into the hole that now split the earth. He crawled over to the edge of the crevasse, searching for her, but all that met his eyes was darkness. He was about to follow her down, when a gigantic edifice began climbing out of the unknown. It seemed to move skywards for ages. His head jerked backwards, so high past human sight the stone rose, overshadowing Bruce and blocking out what little light actually remained. It was so large, he could not figure out what it was. But then, in a flash of lighting, words were etched into the stone. Illuminated by the constant flicker of thunderbolts, Bruce was able to make out the inscription:

Diana Wayne

Beloved Wife and Mother

Loved by her family

Loved by the world

Still on his hands and knees, Bruce tried to stand up, but the weight of the words held him down. So angry, so filled with hate, Bruce turned his face to the skies and yelled at his Maker, gasping and choking on his pain. "Why would you do this? Weren't my parents enough? You've taken away everything from me." Surely God would acknowledge the injustice.

No answers came. Why had he expected any? He remembered all the times when he had cried out to God, only to be greeted with silence. There would be no answers for him. And even if he had received them, he knew they would do him no good. His heart had been ripped apart, past the point of healing.

And so he lay down on the ground, waiting for the earth to swallow him too. He clung to the dirt that now enclosed her. It was still stained with her blood. And with the despair of one who asks, knowing that there will be no answer, he kept crying out, "Why?"

In the midst of his grieving, he heard laughter. At first he thought it was hers, but her laughter always brought him joy. All he felt now was fear. Harsh, arrogant barks of delight interspersed with empty, moronic chortling. If he had ever wondered what God would say to him, he certainly never entertained thoughts of the Almighty laughing at his pain.

But then he realized the sounds weren't falling from the sky. The laughter seemed to surround him, bouncing off the walls of the alley, growing louder and louder. He closed his eyes, trying to locate the source of discordant noises. His eyes snapped open when he realized it was from the shadows.

From her murderer.

At least he could kill the man who killed her. He ran over, his hoarse voice nearly breaking as he yelled, "Who are you? Why did you take her from me?"

He stopped as soon as he heard the gravely voice that was as familiar to him as his own, because it was. "You're talking to the wrong person." A second, lighter voice taunted him from the shadows, "We couldn't have done it without you, Bruce."

Both Batman and Mr. Wayne stepped out from their hiding place. And standing next to them were his parents. They too would give him no peace. "Why did you let her die?"

"I didn't let her die!" He raised an angry finger and stabbed it through the air at the two men dressed in black—one in the batsuit, the other in a tuxedo. "They did!"

And then the shadows fell away, dispersed by the light of another presence.

"Diana," Bruce whispered, disbelieving what he was seeing. She looked absolutely beautiful. Gone was the blood that had stained her white dress. Her hair was no longer matted down by the rain, but flew about her, carried by a breeze.

He ran over to her and took her in his arms. "You're alive." He kissed her face, caressed her hair, laughed at the warmth of her skin. "You're alive!"

Diana brought her hand up to his face, and he rejoiced in the life and love that shone forth from the eyes that had been empty and vacant moments ago. "Yes, Bruce, I am."

"But not for long." The two shadowy figures interrupted their moment, and Bruce was able to hear the clicks of the guns being engaged just in time to push Diana out of the way.

He woke up with the sound of Diana yelling "No!" filling his ears.

Bruce gripped the arm rests, and fairly shook as he dragged in and released his breath. Over and over he did it, but his heart still pounded furiously. His forehead was damp with perspiration, his eyes were wet with tears, and when he stood up from the chair, he stumbled forward, catching his balance on the mantle of the fireplace.

He looked up at his parents one last time before running down to the cave. The cold air met him as soon as he passed through the grandfather clock, causing the hairs on his flesh to stand on end. Racing to his computer, he paced in front of the over-sized monitor, issuing the commands: "Watchtower. Wonder Woman's room."

The screen lit up, throwing an eerie light around the dark cave. He was finally able to sit down when he saw her; she was kneeling down in front of her altar. Her room was darkened, but there were so many tea lights shining on her altar, that he could easily make out the planes of her face. Struck by the sheer number of candles, Bruce counted them. Six rows of ten.

He watched as she finished lighting the rest of the candles. Occasionally, she would raise her hand to her face to wipe away her tears or push back her hair that would fall into her eyes. Prostrating herself before her altar, Diana poured out her heart to her gods. He fought the urge to extend his hand and touch the screen.

Nearly an hour went by as Bruce composed himself, contemplating the praying Diana.

She finally rose and blew out all the lights. But Bruce wasn't ready for her to disappear into the dark.

"Switch to green phosphor display."

She now looked more Martian than human, but Bruce didn't care.

Bruce watched her walk over to her bed, slip under the covers and into sleep.

He remained seated in the darkness of the cave, stealing glances at Diana and going over his dream. He wasn't the type to put much stock in them, but the emotions and thoughts stirred up by his nightmare needed to be examined, and it was with great force that the truth was borne in upon him. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, he loved Diana—was so in love with her that the possibility of losing her caused him physical pain.

He didn't know whether to be overjoyed or panicked. He had never expected to be in love, and now that he was, he didn't know what to do.

Theoretically, the easiest thing would be to let her go. No harm could happen to her if she weren't with him. He couldn't disappoint her, couldn't hurt her, if she didn't know and love him.

He shook his head in frustration. _Stop lying. _

It had nothing to do with protecting her. He wanted to protect himself. If he loved her, he would have to show her who he really was, and he knew what a frightening and disappointing prospect that would be, even for someone as courageous and hopeful as her.

The men she thought she wanted were, in fact, broken and fractured—first by the death of his parents, and then by the formation of Batman and Mr. Bruce Wayne, CEO and playboy.

Bruce hated them both, and he suspected that his parents would have too. They didn't raise their son to be like them. The Batman was an unfeeling tactician who only thought about people as pawns in his fight against crime. Wayne was an insipid fool who only thought about people as ways to advance his reputation. And when Diana discovered that they were one in the same, he was certain that she would despise him for his deceptions. How else could the open and honest Diana react? She wouldn't be able to understand; she'd feel like he had taken her in, and then she'd hate them too.

And if she didn't, if she stayed around to see what was beneath them, what would she find? Bruce had poured so much of himself into those two identities that there was almost nothing left. What little of him remained didn't amount to much either--a man who desperately wanted love and life, but was too scared to look for something that might never be found, or if found, would just be poisoned by him. He didn't need any more disappointments. And so he had given himself over fully to being Batman and Mr. Wayne. They didn't have room for anything besides vengeance.

His head in his hands, Bruce closed his eyes. The sounds of the guns going off filled his ears. He saw her on the ground again, the blood staining her dress, his hands. Her face. And then the laughter of his own personal tormentors rang out. All the anger he had felt towards them came back.

As he reconsidered the still vivid images of his dream, at first he thought that it depicted his initial fears about being in a relationship with her—that someone would hurt Diana because of him. But it wasn't his enemies that killed her; it was Batman and Mr. Wayne. And they weren't married, but on the tombstone it read that she was his wife and the mother of his children. It wasn't Diana that died. It was his hopes for her in his life. He had allowed Batman and Mr. Wayne to rob him of her.

Even though he had planned on pushing her away, as he relived the moment when she was actually taken from him, he knew he didn't want to do it. In truth, he couldn't do it. She had given him hope, and he didn't think he could survive without it any longer. Before, it was easier to live as he did, barely subsisting. He had thought life had nothing to offer him after it had taken everything away those many years ago. But now that he had found someone, if he let her go now, there would only be a cavernous hole inside him, and Bruce was sick of feeling empty.

He stole another glance at his sleeping Princess, pausing to study and adore her peaceful face.

It was time to stop hiding in darkness and shadows; it was time to win her over. He would tell her who he was and that he loved her. He was scared to death, but he was going to do it. The rest would be up to her.

Knowing that in doing this, he would be giving up control over the situation, Bruce looked at her one last time to steel his nerve, and then he did something he hadn't done in years and thought he'd never do again.

_God help me. _

Shutting off the monitor, he turned around and began walking back upstairs.

* * *

** To Be Continued**

* * *

** As always, thanks to my reviewers. :D**

I've written so many chapters that I can't come up with creatively lame ways to refer to my anonymous reviews. Anyway...

**Elladora Ketteridge- **Thank you for the compliment. Here is chapter 12! I hope you like it.

**LJP**- Your review made me laugh. Yeah, Bats is kind of egotistical, but he has good reason for it. Too bad for him that Diana has the wisdom of Athena, and that I wrote a story where he is probably a bit slower than he should be. I wish I could say I wrote Diana as being brilliant (which I think she is); I think it was more a matter of me dumbing down Batman, unfortunately. She's dropped so many hints, he should have known or at least been suspicious by now. I'll work on that more the next time I write a story. Thanks for your review.


	13. Until Somebody Wins

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

Ahhhh! KN- I'm finally finished! Thanks for hanging tough with me all the way through it, helping with my errors and picking out the perfect menu for their dates **:D**. You are a regular NKOTB. In appreciation, I give you a gift card. That way you can get yourself the best thing ever. Make sure to tell me what it is.

Well, here it is! Hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading!

* * *

** Until Somebody Loses:**

**Chapter XIII**

**Until Somebody Wins **

* * *

Diana woke to the familiar sensation of butterflies in her stomach. She lay in bed with her eyes closed, trying to calm herself as the events of the previous night flashed through her mind. 

She was thankful that, after the fire, she had found Batman. But in her heightened emotional state, she had flirted dangerously close with letting it spill that she knew he was Bruce Wayne. He had opened himself further to her than he had ever done before, and she loved that, but it also made her feel immensely guilty. It was becoming more and more difficult to justify her continued secrecy, especially since she and Bruce were growing so close.

As she continued lying there, she remembered that she had faced these feelings before, and forced herself to ignore them. Besides, there were other, better things that had resulted from last night. She'd focus on that instead.

In the midst of the death surrounding them, she had been given the opportunity to experience more. As they discussed their doubts and anger, and partook of those frenzied moments of need far above the streets of Gotham, Bruce had allowed her into his own personal darkness. And in those moments, they both had gone through something, that, at least to Diana, seemed like the beginnings of healing. She had tasted and shared in his brokenness and had found in him a desire to be made well.

They had scheduled their third date at the end of the second one, and she still had two days to plan. She firmly decided that she would break the news to Bruce when he was in uniform, out of respect for him. She had known him as Batman for the longest, and he would probably feel safest in his Kevlar and cowl.

Unable to come up with anything else, and knowing that she had a mission report to complete, she quickly got ready and made her way to the monitor room. To her surprise, Batman was there. By himself.

"Hello, Batman."

With his back to her, he grunted his greeting.

She walked up behind his chair and placed her hand on his shoulder. Diana felt him tense under her touch, but she made no effort to move.

"How are you doing?"

A whole catalog of words entered Bruce's mind, all of them variations of the word terrified or relieved, but he kept his answer short and simple. "I've been better."

He felt her lean over his shoulder, causing her hair to brush his face and distract him.

"Why are you here, Batman?"

"Writing a debrief of last night's events." In truth, he could have done that from the Batcave, but he had wanted to see her, and now that she was here, he couldn't find the courage to even look at her.

"Couldn't you do that from…where is it, exactly, that you run away to after missions?"

Ignoring the question, he kept typing away.

Quickly growing frustrated with his reticence, Diana blurted out, "I want to talk about last night."

"What's there to talk about?" He felt the sensation of her hand at his shoulder disappear, and then the chair he was seated in was quickly spun around. Diana braced her hands on the armrests, bringing their faces close together.

"I'm glad that you were there with me last night. That you stayed with me and listened to me—that you didn't hide from me…and I'm even happier that you kissed me, and I want you to do it again."

Batman tipped up his chin, and whether it was in challenge or invitation, Diana, unfortunately, never got to find out.

They both heard a throat clear behind them. Diana quickly straightened and turned around to look at the interruption.

"Uh, sorry guys, but I needed-…" Superman stopped mid-sentence as Batman brushed past him and out of the room.

Diana sat glumly in the chair Batman had just vacated. "For someone who has enhanced hearing and X-ray vision, you have the worst timing ever."

Clark smiled. "Or the best."

"You interrupted us on purpose?"

"Flash is on his way down here. Imagine if he had walked in on you two. Plus, I really do need to access the logs."

Before Diana could ask for what purpose, Wally zoomed in. "Party in the Monitor Womb!"

"Are you here to type up your report?" Diana asked.

"Did that last night. I needed to get it out of my head before I got home. I just heard voices in here and thought I'd say, 'hi.'"

"Well, I got what I needed. I'll see you two later."

"Bye, Supes!"

Wally slouched in the chair beside Diana, stretching his legs out straight before him. "Rough night?"

"Actually, I slept better than I thought I would. You?"

"Not so good. I had some nightmares."

Diana reached out and squeezed her friend's hand and released it. "I'm sorry, Flash."

"Yeah. Well, it was bound to happen. We pretty much walked through hell last night. Even Batman looked shaken up about it."

"Why do you say that?"

"Saw him walking on my way here. He didn't look so happy."

"Oh?"

"But then again, he always looks grim and irritated."

Diana had no comment.

"Well, Wondy, I need to head out too. Duty calls and all that."

Diana silently waved her goodbyes then set her mind to typing up her version of last night's events. The experience was still too new for her to write about without being affected. The report itself was very professional, and though thorough, was very clinical in nature. She described the state she had found all the bodies in—faces drained of color, bright red lips, bodies with varying states of stiffness and warmth. But for every detached, sterile description she transcribed, she knew there was a living soul that was no longer in this world. When she finished, a depressed and emotional Diana quickly left for her quarters.

As she approached her room, she saw Batman coming her way. He paused for the briefest of moments when he saw her, but then kept walking past her as if she didn't exist. Already distressed, and now confused, Diana opened her door and retreated inside.

Conceding to herself that the horrific events were causing her to misconstrue Bruce's actions, or if not misinterpret them, at least make her feel worse about them, she began drafting out how she would break her news to him. She wasn't going to be read any list to him out loud; it was more in keeping with her personality to speak from the heart rather than rattle off facts. But it was Batman, and she needed to marshal all her reasons, and then find answers to any conceivable defense that he could create. Concentrating on this task, she immersed herself in her work.

Meanwhile, Bruce was working his hardest to discompose himself. It didn't require much. He had been waiting at her door, not wanting her to be confused by his abrupt behavior in the Monitor Womb, but when he heard her coming down the halls, he had chickened out. He wished he hadn't when he saw her. She clearly looked upset about something. He wanted to provide her comfort, but thought he'd mess things up like earlier that day.

Batman wasn't one for spontaneity, and he was berating himself for acting out in his weakness. His strength was in scripting his moves, knowing all the possibilities and controlling the outcomes. But he wasn't prepared for this yet. He had vowed last night that he would tell her, but it would have to wait, especially after the debacle of this morning. He'd speak with her at their date, confess to her as Bruce. He'd be elegant and open, not closed off and short with her. She would see that he could lower his defenses and that he wanted her in his life. Now he just needed help from Alfred to set the scene.

* * *

"Well, sir, I must say that I'm quite pleased with your decision." 'Quite pleased' was an understatement. Alfred was ecstatic. He had always hoped his not quite so young ward would find someone to share his life with. The more Alfred thought about it, the giddier he became, and it manifested itself on his face as a tightlipped smile—barely noticeable to anyone who hadn't known him for years. 

Bruce grinned back weakly at his surrogate father. "No surprises there. I just hope she's as excited about it as you are."

"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about, Master Bruce. Have you decided where you are going to tell her?"

"Where?"

"Of course, where."

"I'm more concerned about the how. I was hoping to leave the planning of the date to you."

"If I may, sir, I think Miss Diana will appreciate it more if she knows you did it."

"I doubt she would be able to tell the difference."

"Do you now?"

Bruce opened his mouth to speak, but closed it in defeat. Alfred was right. Besides, he knew Diana better than Alfred did. But Bruce still needed his help for some things.

"I want you there to meet her. And I want you to prepare the food."

"Greek?"

"No. Steak and lots of cheesecake."

Alfred arched his eyebrow curiously but merely said, "Of course, sir."

"Thanks, Alfred."

The two men went their separate ways, Alfred to the kitchen and Bruce to the Batcave, to begin their preparations. Diana and Bruce had scheduled the date at a typical Bruce Wayne haunt, but that needed to be changed. After placing some phone calls, he had everything set up, except for one last thing. Going back into the manor, Bruce called Diana from his study.

Within the last year, each of the rooms in the Watchtower had been made teleconference- enabled, courtesy of Wayne Enterprises. This is how he had spoken with her before, and it was how he was speaking to her now.

After Diana had accepted his call, Bruce saw her get off of her bed, which was covered with a few papers. She cast a backwards glance at them before giving him her full attention. He stood in front of his desk, leaning back on it, with his hands supporting him at his sides.

"Hello, Bruce."

"I hope you are having a good day, Princess."

"I've been better. So, is everything alright with you?"

"Yes, I am calling about our date."

Her fingers twitched at her sides, but she evenly asked, "Are you cancelling?"

He looked a bit startled at the question. "No. Of course, not. Why would you think that?"

"There has been precedent for this kind of thing."

Bruce had trouble keeping the disappointment from creeping into his voice. "I thought you didn't believe what was written in the papers."

Diana eyed him sadly. "I'm sorry, Bruce. I haven't been having the best couple of days. I shouldn't have said that to you."

In a softened tone, Bruce said, "I can't imagine that last night's events were very pleasant for you."

Diana blinked at his words, but remembered that as far as he was concerned, she didn't know he was Batman, and she and Bruce Wayne had not made out over his city. "No. Actually, for the most part, it was awful."

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"At the moment, no."

Bruce stared intently at her, allowing the worry to creep on his face that he hadn't permitted himself to show her that morning. "Will you let me know when you're ready?"

"Of course, Bruce." There was a slight pause as she studied him. "It's good to see your face."

"I was just thinking the same thing."

A light smile formed on her lips. "Now what is it you wanted to tell me about our date?"

"I've changed the venue. We're now going to Wayne Botanical Garden."

"You have a botanical garden?"

"Among other things. I was wondering if you wanted to meet at my place or if you'd rather meet there?"

Bruce watched as Diana pondered her answer, wishing he could read her mind. If he had been able to, he would have discovered that she wanted nothing more than to see where he lived, but told herself she didn't deserve to go there under the present circumstances. If he still wanted to be with her after she told him everything that would be the first place they would visit.

"I think, for now, it would be best if we met at the garden."

Feeling a little hurt, Bruce tried to hide it by pasting a large smile on his face. "Of course. Whatever you want. Well, I should proba--"

"Bruce," Diana urgently interrupted.

"Yes?"

"I just want you to know that if…I just want you to know that I'm really looking forward to our date."

"Me too."

Both of them stared at each other, wanting to say more and expecting more to be said, but they remained quiet. Finally, he ended the silence. "I'll see you later."

Diana nodded her head, gently saying, "Goodbye, Bruce." And then his image disappeared from view.

Both heroes sat back down and stared at their empty screens, worrying about what would happen in two days' time.

* * *

The days passed slowly, but the main event inevitably arrived. Both Bruce and Diana took special care in getting ready 

Diana arrived in Gotham three hours before she was to meet Bruce. Having consulted Gotham's yellow pages and having borrowed some money from Superman, she entered a reputable salon and exited nearly two and a half hours later with her fingers and toes painted a soft shade of pink and her hair curled—half of it pulled away from her face, with a white flower that she had received in a bouquet from Bruce just yesterday. The salon owners were kind enough to allow her to finish the rest of her gussying up in their establishment. She opted to do her own make-up, and even though she didn't do much, she was pleased with how it turned out. Lastly, she pulled on another of her dresses. It was a simple white column dress, whose scooped neck was highlighted by the sapphire drop pendant that hung from a gold chain, a gift Bruce had sent her with the flowers. The light material at the bottom of the dress formed a train that seemed to float just above the ground. Satisfied that she was ready, she made her way to their meeting place.

Bruce's preparations were much easier. After shaving and applying a little aftershave to his face and some gel to his hair, he slipped into a tux, fixed his bowtie and cufflinks, and then sat back in the Rolls Royce as Alfred drove him to Wayne Botanical Garden.

Once they had arrived, Alfred made his way around the car to open the door for Bruce. "Ready, Master Bruce?

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Very good, sir."

"Alright, I'm going in. Please wait here till she arrives and show her in."

"Naturally." Bruce turned and walked into the building, going over his game plan for quite possibly the thousandth time.

Not ten minutes later, Diana arrived on the scene. Seeing a dignified older man standing next to the entrance's doors, she made her way up the steps. As she approached, a very cultured English accent inquired, "Princess Diana, I presume?"

Diana's face lit up with a smile as she happily said, "Yes. And you must be Alfred." She reached out her hand energetically. "I have been looking forward to meeting you very much." Taking her hand, the butler bowed slightly, placing a chaste kiss on the tips of her fingers. Releasing the royal's limb, he stood up as straight as he possibly could, opened the door for her and ushered her in. "Right this way, Princess Diana."

As he led her to Bruce, Alfred thought she was as lovely and graceful as his ward had described her. A most fitting partner for the man he considered as dear to him as a son.

While Diana took in her surroundings, Alfred heard her sigh at the sight that greeted her. Alfred himself had to admit that Bruce had done a magnificent job. The plants and shrubs, even the walkway, was lined with tiny white lights, which provided the only illumination in the garden. Though anxious to see Bruce, Diana was still able to delight in the colorful flowers and fragrant scents she experienced as she drew closer to him.

From his place in the gazebo, Bruce spotted her before she ever saw him. He knew it was clichéd, but he truly believed he had never seen her look more beautiful. He unknowingly took a few steps forward, but further motion by him became impossible because at that moment she looked up and smiled at him.

"Hello, Bruce."

Her words jolted him from his reverie. Making short work of the distance between them, he took her hands in his and kissed both of them. "You look breathtaking."

He looked her over and when he saw the necklace he had given her, Diana received another treat--an expression of joy on Bruce's face—made even more valuable by its rarity. Removing one of her hands, she brought it up to his face, cradling his cheek as she ran her thumb over his lips. When she had finished, she brought his face down to hers and softly kissed him.

Both of them had forgotten that Alfred was still there. When he cleared his throat, the two lovebirds took a step back away from each other. Bruce offered her his arm, which she took, and led her to her chair.

Alfred proudly watched as Bruce helped the Princess into her chair and then seated himself.

Bruce looked to Alfred for direction, but, as far as the butler was concerned, it was time for Bruce to take matters into his own hands. "Will you be needing anything else, sir?"

"No. I think I can serve us both. Thank you, Alfred."

The Englishman bowed to the Princess, then made his way to the Rolls and the book and thermos of Earl Grey that were waiting him there.

The couple's eyes silently followed Alfred until he was out of sight. Diana was trying not to smile, but it was impossible. She felt completely and utterly happy, and when Bruce reached across the table to take her hand, the butterflies in her stomach started flapping overtime.

"So."

"So."

"Do you want to know what we are having for dinner?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, dinner."

Bruce grinned at the blush that suffused her cheeks. "Or would you rather start with dessert?"

The innuendo wasn't lost on Diana, but she didn't want to get too far with him before until he was in cape and cowl. But she didn't know what to say, so she sat there in indecision.

Mistaking her silence for invitation, Bruce gently tugged her into his lap. She didn't provide much resistance. And when he started whispering against her neck about how beautiful she looked, Diana gave herself up for lost. If he hadn't already told her how lovely she looked, his actions would have given him away. Every touch was a silent declaration of his adoration of her. His hands softly trailed over her arms, occasionally coming to her face and tracing over the elegant contours there. His lips gently caressed her face and mouth while he continued murmuring her praises. She had never felt so valued and cherished in all her life.

As they continued enjoying each other, Diana put her fears on hold, content with just being with him. But something happened to curtail her pleasure.

"I love you, Diana"

Suddenly, Diana felt cold all over. She stiffened in his arms, and with fear in her eyes, she begged him, "Please don't say that, Bruce."

His eyes widened in pain, and though he quickly recovered himself, it was not fast enough to escape Diana's scrutiny.

She made a snap decision to forego her plans and tell him everything immediately. Just as she opened her mouth to confess her knowledge and love for him, he roughly pulled her mouth down to his and began to pull angrily at her dress. She knew he had misunderstood her and was now reverting to his playboy persona to drive her away, but that didn't give him the right to manhandle her.

"Bruce!"

When he looked up, his eyes flashed at her and he coldly said, "It's our third date. Time to collect."

As he leaned in to kiss her again, she placed her fingers on his lips and issued a low warning. "I don't think that's such a good idea, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce was just trying to hold himself together. There were so many contrasting emotions going through his mind in that moment. It was just seconds ago that he was perfectly ecstatic, hopeful that she would receive his loving words as gratefully as she received his actions. And then, just as quickly, he felt even worse than after he had woken from his horrible nightmare those few days ago. At least that had been a figment of his slumbering imagination. This was reality, and she didn't want him. Feeling utterly foolish and loathsome, he told himself she already thought lowly of him and wouldn't love him, so it didn't matter how he acted. If she thought he was Mr. Wayne, he'd act like Mr. Wayne. But just this once, he wished with all his heart that she really knew him, and that heart broke as she stood up and walked away to her seat.

Her eyes full of pity for the temporary pain she knew she had caused him, Diana reached across the table to take his hand, but he pulled away, crossing his hands over his chest.

She frowned, but soldiered on. "Bruce, I have something to tell you, and I know you won't like it, but I ask that you listen to me and hear me out till I have spoken my piece."

He looked thoroughly bored.

"Bruce, the whole time we've been dating, I have been hiding something from you."

"I already know about your infatuation with Batman."

"Please, let me finish."

But Bruce didn't want to hear it; he _wanted_ to get out there as soon as possible and the easiest way to do that was to anger her into leaving. "What can you possibly see in him? I can understand why he would want you, or, more likely, your body. You'd be a nice distraction from his nightly escapades."

"I don't expect you to see what I see in him. You should learn to appreciate him more. He is a hero. I know of no one braver, or smarter, or kinder than him. He may seem mercenary and unfeeling, but I know he isn't. I've gotten to know him."

"I'm sure. Tell me, has he told you anything about his personal life? Revealed his identity to you?"

Diana looked down at her hands in agony. "No, but…"

"Exactly. He lets you know what he wants you to know, and he obviously doesn't care enough about you to share anything important with you."

"Bru—."

He viciously cut her off again. "Why aren't you with him now?"

"Because he thinks I'll take away from his mission. And because I'm here with you."

Ignoring her last statement and the look in her eyes, Bruce kept going. "He's probably right. And you're better off without him; imagine being the other woman in Batman's life. I'm sure you'd feel very lonely when he left you at home to be with Gotham every night."

"He could learn to let me help him. Fight with him and beside him."

Bruce snorted derisively at her. "Doubtful. And if you care for him as much as you say you do, why are you here with me instead of with him, letting me put my hands and mouth all over you? Some Wonder Woman. You're just as deceitful as all the other tramps—excuse me, 'ladies' that I've dated."

Diana knew she had nothing to say that he would be interested in. On the verge of tears, she stood up.

"Well, I'm glad we've had our talk, Diana. Too bad things didn't work out between you and me. We could have had some fun. Feel free to call me when Batman's abandoned you and you're feeling lonely." He trailed his eyes lasciviously over her. "I'll be happy to oblige."

Finding her voice again, Diana quietly said, "I know you don't mean that. And just because I care for him, doesn't mean that I don't care for you. But you'll believe what you want to believe, and I've done all that I can to convince you."

She stood up and made her way over to him. For all his cool and control, Bruce was unable to keep the hurt out of his eyes. He was losing her, and he could do nothing about it.

Diana's blue eyes were trained on his. In their openness, Bruce saw the tenderness and desire she had for him, and that just served to confuse him more. He wanted to pull her into his arms, and from the looks of it, she wanted him to as well. But he just stood there, waiting for her to do something. At last, Diana leaned in and kissed him softly and slowly on his mouth.

"Goodbye, Mr. Wayne."

And then she was gone.

As she walked out of the garden's front doors, Alfred saw her distraught face. As quickly as he could, he scrambled out of his car and called out after her, "Is there something wrong, Miss Diana?"

"I'm very sorry Alfred, but I must leave now." In bewilderment he nodded his head and watched as she floated upwards and disappeared in the night. The old man's thoughts quickly traveled to Bruce, and it was with great haste that he entered the gardens to find his ward.

Alfred found him sitting down at the table with his head in his hands. When Bruce heard Alfred approach, he looked up. The bright eyes communicated that their owner was miserable.

"What happened, Master Bruce?"

"I don't know." The younger man's eyes wandered, looking over all his preparations that had been for nothing. His eyes finally returned to the table, falling on the necklace he had given Diana. He picked it up and stuffed it in his pocket.

"I don't know what to tell you, sir. I'm as confused as you are."

"Right. Well, I'll just…" He didn't finish his sentence, but walked away, his hands in his pockets, running the fingers of his right hand over the necklace Diana had left behind.

Alfred remained in the gazebo, cleaning up the untouched food from the date that never really was.

* * *

Within the hour, Batman was standing on Wayne Tower, nursing his wounds and creating new ones. 

He began to half-heartedly convince himself that, if she hadn't ended it, he would have eventually done it. But that didn't help. He had never hurt so much or felt so stupid in all his life.

She had made him hope that things would be different, if even for a brief while. She had made him happy, and then she had taken it away.

He should have known this would happen. From that first date, he had been more transparent with her than ever. He had treated her honorably, hadn't lied to her, played by her rules (for the most part), and still she left him. She had seen through him, and he had given her his best, but he still wasn't enough.

Why had he started thinking and hoping otherwise?

Diana found him brooding over his building. She approached him silently from behind, and while she drew closer, his question filled her ears. "Another date with Wayne?"

No longer surprised by his ability to sense her presence, she replied, "Yes, but it ended a little early. I think he's upset with me."

"You don't sound too broken up about it."

Stung by the bitterness in his voice, she was unable to answer him. Noticing the silence, he turned around to look at her. She was still wearing her white dress, and the wind was causing the fabric and her hair to whip around her. As her hands moved up to her face, he thought she was going to hold her hair back so that it wouldn't keep hitting her face. She startled Bruce by wiping some tears from her eyes instead.

When she finally spoke, it was in a nearly inaudible voice. "Actually, I like him a lot. I think I even love him. And I didn't want things to end. I know I hurt him badly, and I regret that. But it didn't seem fair that I should continue dating him when I felt the same way about another man."

Still angry with her, he pulled Diana harshly to him. She was so close that the only thing she could see was the whites of his lenses. "I told you I'm not going to play games with you, Diana." _I've never played games with you!_

"This isn't a game, Batman. It never was. You know that. I want you, too."

And because Bruce felt the same way, he drew her even closer. He felt her warm tears spill onto his face as their lips crashed harshly together. His heart raced as her breaths increase in number and pace. He sensed her knees trembling while she held onto his shoulders as if her life depended on him. Losing himself in her, he became unaware of everything else.

Wanting to see his eyes and face, Diana raised her hands to his cowl. "No more secrets," she whispered against his lips. As she tried to push it back, Bruce came back to his senses.

"No."

He pushed Diana away from him and took a few steps back. "No."

"Why not?!"

"_I_ haven't forgotten about Wayne, even if you have, and I don't share."

"So you're making me choose?"

He wanted to know which one she preferred, but deep down he knew that either answer would hurt. He was beginning to understand that it was Bruce that controlled Batman and Wayne, not the other way around. She might not know it, but by choosing one, she was rejecting all of him. He needed to leave.

"No, I'm choosing for you." He turned around and pointed his grappling hook at the building across from them. Before he could pull the trigger, Diana flew in front of him.

"Please don't do this, Batman." She saw him begin to withdraw and knew that it was time to lay all her cards on the table. She kissed him as sweetly as she knew how, with all the love she possessed, hoping that he would know how much she cared for him. Then she looked into his eyes and prayed to Hera that he would understand why she had done this.

"I don't need to choose between Batman and Bruce Wayne. I'm in love with all of you, Bruce. I know everything, and I love you."

He felt as if his heart was going to burst and the rest of his internal organs had plummeted to the ground. His knees almost buckled, and it was with great difficulty that Bruce remained standing. His eyes feverishly searched over her face, trying to see if she was lying to him.

Her hand came up to his face, and she slowly removed his cowl. She stared into his blue eyes, then timidly kissed his brow and cheek. "Do you still love me, Bruce?"

He looked away in silence, but made no move to leave. Taking this as a yes, Diana forged on.

"Then please forgive me. Let me love you. I can make you happy. You deserve this. You deserve me. Please love me." She knew she was practically begging for his affections, but personal pride was forgotten all but forgotten. If he rejected her now, she knew she would heal in time, but Hera help her, she was going to do everything in her power to convince him to be hers.

As he looked at her and considered her words, something inside him changed. There was no anger, as she had expected. And the sadness and sorrow he had experienced just moments ago had disappeared, as well. All that remained was the overwhelming assurance that she loved him, and the gratitude and affection that sprung from that knowledge. She had brought him hope, and he couldn't let her go. If she believed in him and cared for him, he could do anything. As he pulled her tightly to his chest, he vowed then and there that he would learn to adore her as she deserved.

And when he kissed her, Diana knew that she was receiving all of him, and for those few moments she felt as if she could take on the world. But then he pulled away. Still within the compass of his arms, she looked up at him, fear clearly showing in her eyes. Her heart suddenly deflated, as if it had been shot through with arrows. "Why, Bruce?"

Bruce looked just as frightened; after experiencing sheer joy for the first time since his life had been shattered in that alley so long ago, the thought of having to give it up nearly eviscerated him. But he forced himself to say what needed to be said, nearly choking on the words. "Diana, I love you, but I can't handle all this at once. The way I am right now, I know I will become afraid and hurt you."

"You would never hurt me. I trust you." He could tell she really believed that, but he knew himself better than she did.

"If you trust me, trust me enough to know that I'm right about this. I'm not saying that we can't be together. But if you want this to work, we will have to move slowly. But I'll understand if you decide it's not worth it."

Diana felt her heart revive again, and she found the strength to hit him. "Don't you ever do that again! I thought you were giving up before we even began." She threw her arms around his neck. "Of course, I'll wait for you, Bruce. We'll go as slowly as you need. Besides, I think slow is good."

Too relieved to bring up how badly she had taunted him with her outfits and flirtatious words, he kissed her one last time before removing himself from her. He took a few steps back, putting a safe distance between. His posture become even more rigid, and if it were possible, his shoulders became broader. Diana watched as his eyes took on a wistful hue. They always did whenever he thought of his parents.

Though he had very few happy memories of Thomas and Martha Wayne, Bruce highly valued the truth that his father loved his mother more than life. Bruce wanted to live up to his parents' example, wanted to make them proud. Besides, if Alfred—his old school, English butler—found out that he was acting less than chivalrously towards the princess, he would get his ears boxed. With their help, Bruce would do right by her.

"Diana, I want to do this the right way; the way that you deserve."

Diana teased him, saying, "I knew that Bruce Wayne was all talk, anyway."

"Yes, he was…I would like to have lunch with you tomorrow at the manor."

Diana smiled radiantly. "Of course I'll be there. But I think it's time for me to go home. May I have a kiss goodnight?"

The way he started looking at her, she felt a little cruel for playing with him, but she couldn't help it. He was her first boyfriend, after all.

He surprised her by gathering her into his arms. When she looked up at him, he placed a light kiss on her forehead and her eyelids fluttered shut. Seconds passed as Diana waited for more, but nothing came. When Bruce saw the disappointment that crossed her features, his lips twitched at the corner in one of his familiar smirks. Pulling his cowl back on, he said, "I don't think that's such a good idea. I'll see you tomorrow, Princess."

Her eyes now open, she smiled sweetly at him and said, "Goodnight, Bruce."

As she flew away, her com-link went off in her ear.

"So how did you figure out it was me in the Batsuit?"

"Patience, Bruce. I'll tell you tomorrow. Oh! And I want my necklace back."

"We'll discuss the terms on which it will be returned to you tomorrow. Batman out."

* * *

** THE END!**

* * *

**YEAH! **Thank you guys so much for sifting through my sporadic updates and convoluted musings. Your encouragement was and is greatly appreciated, and I really hope you enjoy this ending. If you didn't, feel free to tell me why. I'm a glutton for constructive punishment. **:D**

**  
**I thought I'd have a section where I summed up my closing thoughts on my story, but my brain is fried. If you're interested in what happens later, I have a bunch of fictions that take place in this BMWW universe of mine. For fluff check out: And they Call it Puppy Love, The Starry Nights, Right as Rain, Razor Burn, The Real Thing, Bruce's Princess, More Than a Machine, The Issue At Hand (roughly in that order).

I'm currently working on another BMWW fiction called Untitled. **:D** It's angstier than this story is by a country mile. At least, I think it is. So if that's your bent, feel free to take a gander.

* * *

To my lone anonymous ranger-Rae Rihanna

Thanks muchly for the kind review. I'm glad you think I kept them in character. Sometimes it's a struggle for me. Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful day! Yours, Tonto


	14. Epilogue: A Happy Beginning

Disclaimer: I disclaim everything. **;D**

Thank you, Kipling-Nori, O long-suffering beta. I'm thinking your enclave could use some pretty twinkly white lights. And a unicorn. Enjoy.

This takes place the day after the events of the last chapter.

* * *

**Until Somebody Loses**

**Epilogue:**

**A Happy Beginning**

* * *

Diana rang the doorbell promptly at noon. Almost immediately, she was greeted by Alfred.

"Good afternoon, Princess Diana."

Wonder Woman gathered the unsuspecting Alfred into her arms and gave him a hug. "It's so good to see you again."

Alfred patted her on the back a few times and stiffly said, "Of course, my dear."

Afraid that she was making the old man uncomfortable, she released him. Straightening up, she saw Bruce watching her as he leaned against a doorframe across the way.

Fearful that he would burst into a smile at the consummation of his wishes, Alfred made a quick and quiet escape. Neither Bruce nor Diana noticed, however.

Diana stood in the entrance, unsure of what to do. She wanted to run up to Bruce, but she didn't know if she would appear too eager. Diana released a small sigh. Being his girlfriend was supposed to make things_ less_ complicated.

Bruce crossed the floor as quickly as a man could without looking foolish and stopped in front of her. He was wearing dark slacks and a maroon button down shirt, which heightened the color of his eyes. He regarded her so intently that Diana was left at a loss for words. Then his face broke into one of his familiar smirks, which did a little to settle her nerves. She briefly wondered if Bruce could hear the pounding of her heart.

"Hello."

"Hello."

It was quiet for a few more seconds before Diana let out a small laugh. "I don't know what to do."

"What do you want to do?"

They were only a few inches apart, and they weren't touching. If were up to her, though, that would be changing very soon. Diana blushed at her thoughts and looked at the ground. It was silly, she knew, but she thought that if Bruce could see her eyes, he would be able to read her mind.

"No need to be shy, Princess. We're all friends here."

"I wouldn't mind seeing the rest of the manor."

"I suppose that can be arranged. Though…considering I'm the one with your necklace, I think we should be doing what I want to do."

His words made her blush, though there was nothing suggestive in his tone at all. Diana almost laughed at how boy crazy she was being. Wonder Woman wasn't supposed to be reduced to an infatuated schoolgirl, but looking at him, all she could think about was how handsome he was and how much she wanted to kiss him.

Irritated with herself, she tried to focus on her lost possession. Her gift needed reclaiming. "So when do I get it back?"

Bruce shrugged nonchalantly. "When I decide to let you have it."

"And if I want it now?"

He enveloped her hand in his and gently pulled her towards one of the many hallways connected to the main lobby. "It's time for lunch."

Diana had been so busy thinking about Bruce and how to act that she hadn't noticed how palatial his house was. Even though it couldn't have been more than a minute since they'd left the front door, it felt like they had been walking for hours down endless hallways.

They finally arrived at a large dining room. Diana could tell that Bruce was surprised by the lack of food on the table, though it didn't last for long. Alfred walked in and solved the mystery. "What with the weather being so lovely outside, I thought you two wouldn't mind a picnic."

Bruce looked over at Diana to see her response. When she nodded her head, he said, "Sounds good."

"You'll find the gazebo on the East lawn ready for you."

"Which one?"

"My apologies, sir. The one nearest the fountains."

"Thanks, Alfred."

As she followed him outdoors, Diana drew in a deep breath. She knew she was acting strangely. At least she had reason to be glad. Bruce hadn't noticed.

"You seem awfully quiet, Diana."

Diana silently cursed as she searched for an explanation. She had none that she wanted to give. "Oh. I'm sorry." She looked up at him briefly, then returned her eyes to the grass on which they were walking.

"I guess I need to work harder on making you feel relaxed."

Something in the way he said it sent a shiver of excitement down her spine. Even though she knew he was flirting with her, something inside wouldn't allow her to respond. Things had happened so quickly the night before. Her emotions still hadn't settled, and she worried that, in the cold light of day, Bruce would think he had made a mistake. She wanted him to be the one to make the first move.

When their destination came into view, Diana smiled in spite of herself. There was no picnic basket or red and white checkered blanket. She could see the china, silverware, chairs, and a table covered with delicious food. Apparently, Alfred's definition of a picnic was fine dining out of doors.

The gazebo was surrounded by a beautiful garden, and she walked on ahead towards a tall rosebush. Leaning down, she touched the delicate shield protecting the rose's innards. Appreciative fingers ran over the white petals, whose edges faded into a beautiful pink. Taking the rose between her hands, she brought it up to her nose and slowly breathed in its fragrance.

Diana's serenity was broken by a finger tracing over her spine. Staying bent over the flower, she tried maintaining her cool. That became much more difficult when she felt Bruce's voice at her ear. "It's called the _dolce vita_." From behind her, he took her hands in his own, leaned his head over her shoulder and inhaled deeply. Once he was finished, he let go of the flower, but remained at her back, trailing his hands down the lengths of her arms, and kissing her shoulder softly.

He felt her repress a shiver, and he smiled against her skin. "You weren't this nervous last night or any of those times before."

Diana closed her eyes and leaned back into his arms. "I just don't know how I'm supposed to act. I don't want to…overwhelm you."

"That sounds like something I would be thinking about."

"Are you?"

Bruce turned Diana around in his arms, his kind blue eyes meeting her apprehensive ones. "No." He brought his face closer to hers and felt a twinge of satisfaction when he saw Diana chew on her lower lip in response. She wanted him as badly as he wanted her. Still Bruce told himself he needed to be patient. "I hoped to wait a little lon--"

He stopped speaking when Diana's eyes drifted shut. The last of his resolve deserted him. Bruce raised a strong hand, gently cradling her cheek, as she had done to him last night. He placed his thumb on her lower lip and watched as she struggled to keep her eyes closed. Applying the slightest of pressures, he moved his thumb down, causing her mouth to part. He could feel every shaky breath she exhaled on his skin. Letting his hand fall to her shoulder, Bruce cautiously brought his lips to hers, kissing the corners of her trembling mouth.

Before he lost control, he pulled back. He was about to lead her to the table when, in a thready whisper, Diana said, "I want more."

When nothing else happened, she opened her eyes. She was greeted by Bruce hungrily looking over her. A sudden heat crawled up her neck and face, but she didn't look away. Instead, she brought herself tortuously close to Bruce. "Please."

She wasn't surprised by his response. In fact, this is what she had wanted since she had set foot inside his home. She wanted a declaration that he found her desirable, that he wanted to be with her—that he wanted her. And that was what she was receiving.

Bruce held her so close to him that she could hardly breathe, which was slightly unfortunate, because the way he was kissing her was leaving her desperate for oxygen. She could feel her heart pounding inside her chest. The only sensation that was stronger was that of his hands and mouth on her skin. Every touch was electric, designed to make Diana melt. And when he tugged on her lower lip with his mouth, she did.

When Diana, in a voice breathless with delight, uttered his name, Bruce knew it was time to stop. He withdrew his mouth from hers and rested his head against the side of her face.

Still clinging to him, she could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he fought for control over his breathing. Diana's lungs were burning too. Her lips felt puffy and swollen, and her skin tingled from the strength of his grip. But it was a pleasurable pain. Diana tried to kiss him again, but he pulled away from her.

Even though his voice was stern, his brusque tone was softened by the gentleness of his eyes. "If I don't stop now, we'll never have lunch."

"Lunch can wait."

Bruce chuckled and brought his lips to her forehead. "I don't think you understand."

"No, I guess I don't." She rested her hands lightly on his chest, tracing circles on his shirt.

He removed her hands, and for a second he looked as if he were going to say something. Deciding against it, he kissed the backs of her hands and led her over to their meal. After helping Diana to her seat, Bruce sat down beside her.

She gave him an angelic look as she pronounced, "I don't think I'm hungry anymore."

"At least not for food," Bruce noted wryly before tearing into a sandwich. He chewed the food slowly, forcing himself to focus on his sandwich instead of her foot rubbing against his calf. Once he swallowed he remarked, "I guess I don't have to worry about you feeling nervous anymore."

"And I have you to thank for it." She took some grapes and offered them to Bruce. He moved to take them from her, but she shooed his hand away. Bringing the fruit to his mouth, she purposely prolonged the contact her fingers made with his lips, as he took her offering.

"You aren't going to make this easy, are you?"

Diana smiled in satisfaction. "No."

Bruce sat back in his chair and cleared his throat. "Diana, what I'm going to say…" A faint blush stole over his features, but then he shrugged, a cold and clear logic displacing his former embarrassment. "It's hard enough not thinking about sleeping with you when you are in the same room as me, much less being alone with you, knowing that you would willingly allow me to do almost anything to you. If you want me to show any kind of restraint, we can't keep going like this. Under the circumstances, I think I've exercised an _inhuman_ amount of self-control. Godlike, even."

Diana's eyes widened in surprise, though deep down a part of her knew this and was thrilled. "But we were just kissing."

"It doesn't take much."

"Does that mean we can't do that anymore?"

Bruce let out a small laugh at the disappointed look on Diana's face. "I hope not. But when I say stop, you should listen. Unless, you actually think you are ready for me." Bruce had the decency to give her an impish smile. "But I have a feeling that you will find the loss of your virginity much more regrettable than I would."

Diana blinked. She wasn't quite so sure about that, but Bruce's words sufficiently cleared her mind. Sitting back in her chair, she crossed one arm in front of her. The hand of her other arm supported her chin. Letting out a regretful sigh, Diana finally admitted, "You are right."

She looked over at him and saw his smirk. "If you say anything, Bruce Wayne, I will kill you, and then we won't have to worry about this at all."

His only response was to raise his eyebrows in amusement.

Diana began to play with some grapes, staring at them pensively. "To tell you the truth, I hadn't thought that far ahead. But we agreed to take things slowly, and it would be foolish to let my desires dictate my actions in the heat of the moment. Besides, it is an important event, and I want to enter into that 'aspect' of our relationship wisely."

"I think I can honestly say that I have never had this conversation with anyone."

Diana ignored him and continued. "If _I'm_ honest, I don't think I'm ready. There are so many things we haven't done together yet, that I don't want to miss out on them by jumping so far ahead."

When all he did was smile, Diana felt she had to explain herself further. "It's not that I believe that the act itself is wrong, or that I couldn't do it, but at this time, it wouldn't be right. You said it yourself; we will have enough to deal with in establishing our relationship and making sure it stays healthy."

Bruce tried to quell the alarm he was beginning to feel, "I'm not suggesting that this should be permanent."

Diana playfully rolled her eyes. "Hera forbid." Turning more serious she said, "I just want to make sure that this relationship lasts."

He grabbed her hand and tightened his fingers around hers.

"After that, we can have all the sex we want." Diana couldn't help laughing at her bold proclamation. The words sounded strange to her ears, but she meant it.

Bruce didn't say anything, but he silently hoped that she was right.

"Now that that's out of the way..."

Bruce handed her a sandwich, and Diana began to eat. After a few bites, she happily stated, "Part of me wishes I had not left last night until after we had dinner. This is heavenly."

"About last night…" His tone made Diana forget all about her food. Just thinking about how hurt he had looked was enough to make her lose her appetite.

"I'm really sor--"

Bruce held up his hand, effectively silencing her. "Before you start, I have some questions."

Diana kept quiet, seeing that Bruce was feeling uncomfortable.

"Why didn't you just tell me everything at dinner?"

"I had planned out how I was going to tell you, and it was going to be while you were behind the mask. But when you told me that you…loved me, I panicked. I didn't want you saying that without knowing I already knew everything. And when I tried to explain, you wouldn't listen to me."

Bruce nodded his head at the truth of her words. ""I'm surprised you didn't make me."

"You're right. In some ways, I haven't quite been myself. Ever since I decided to pursue you, I have felt out of my element. My upbringing never prepared me for anything like this. Until I knew you, I had never experienced these kinds of feelings before."

"Neither had I."

Diana swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat and continued. "I started with good intentions—I wanted you to be happy—but I was also driven by self-interest. I wanted you for myself, to be that person who changed your life. So I had to try, and this seemed the best way. But the whole time, part of me knew what I was doing wasn't fair to you, that you would feel betrayed."

"I did."

Diana looked down at her plate, unable to meet his gaze for fear of what she might find there. "I deserve that. You might work in shadows, but I know you have come to expect complete honesty from me, that you respect me because of my truthfulness. I'm sorry for disappointing you."

She heard some movement to her side and suddenly her vision was filled with Bruce's face. He knelt in front of Diana, looking earnestly into her eyes. "I have never been more impressed…with anyone."

"Good. Because that was the hardest thing I've ever done."

He laughed at the relief on her face.

"I'm not joking, Bruce. I had no idea what I was doing most of the time; just acting on instinct, really. I have never felt so worried or scared in my life."

"I know." And he did. Diana was nearly invincible, and in battle he would be hard-pressed to find a more formidable opponent. But in matters of the heart, she was wholly inexperienced and defenseless. And yet, in spite of knowing how this left her potentially open to grave injury (and he had no doubt that she was fully aware of the risks), she had pursued him anyway, just to attempt to make his life better. If put in the same situation, he would have retreated. "You were much more courageous than I was. And if it weren't for you, we wouldn't be here now."

"So you're not angry with me anymore?"

"No. It didn't seem that important after you told me you felt the same way." Bruce stood up. The ground was hard, and his knees hurt. He sat back down in his chair.

He felt a surge of satisfaction when Diana walked over and sat in his lap, unbidden and unasked. It seemed she was adapting quickly and growing more and more confident by the minute. He must have been doing something right.

"I just couldn't see you giving me the opportunity to get close to you if I had told you I knew your identity from the beginning. And the thought of you pushing me away if I told you… I didn't want to lose the closeness, even if it was partly false."

"You're right. I wouldn't have let you near me if I had known."

"Then why--"

"Why am I letting you in now?"

Diana nodded her head silently, her movements causing her cheek to rub against his.

"For a lot of reasons."

"But you aren't going to tell me them, are you?"

"Not anytime soon, at least." Looking at her, he had a feeling he would be telling her sooner rather than later. But at the moment, he didn't want to relive that dream. Besides, she seemed to understand him well enough to understand his reasons.

"May I guess?"

"You can try."

He expected her to start her guessing games, but she sat there quietly. When she did speak, it was to say, "I probably shouldn't have moved. I haven't finished my lunch."

"There's no rule against you eating it right here. In fact, I could feed you myself."

Diana's eyes widened until she realized he was joking. "Thanks, but I think I'm old enough to handle it."

From the mischievous glint in his eyes, Diana could tell he wasn't finished playing his game. "I let you feed me grapes."

"That was different. _That_ was an act of seduction."

"And this isn't?"

Diana grabbed the sandwich that Bruce was holding against her mouth, smiling at his mock seriousness. "Stop it." She sat up straighter and began to eat her food.

"So babying each other is out. And I was so hoping to call you my wonderkins."

Diana's mouth was too full to give a verbal reply, so she glared.

"Oh, you got a little…" Bruce took a napkin and tried dabbing at Diana's mouth, but she swatted his hand away. Having swallowed her food, she was now able to release a full-throated laugh. "Bruce, if you ever do that again…"

He caught her mouth with his, rendering her threat idle. After kissing her to his heart's content, he finally stopped and let her finish her meal.

"So what now, Mr. Wayne?"

"As much as I like you sitting here, my legs are falling asleep."

Diana got up, and they left their picnic for the comfort of the Manor.

They entered the house and Bruce pointed out all the rooms they passed, but they didn't stop to examine any of them. She had no idea where Bruce was taking her, but he finally stopped in front of a grandfather clock. "I have something to show you."

She watched as he moved the hands of the clock so that they read forty-seven minutes after ten. The elegant timepiece swung outward, and cold damp air rushed out to greet them. Diana followed him silently down the stairs.

When they reached the bottom floor, he played with a switch, which raised the intensity of the lights that were placed throughout the cave. Then he continued to walk forward with her, stopping only when they reached the middle of a platform with a computer with the largest monitor she had ever seen.

"You asked me before where I come back to when I leave the Watchtower. This is it."

"It's…big."

She vaguely overheard Bruce tell her the dimensions of the cave as she walked over to a ledge and looked over. All she saw was darkness. To her right she saw a familiar sight. "Nice car."

"Someday I'll take you for a drive."

"That would be nice. And then you can teach me to drive it," Diana replied.

"Remember that discussion about moving too fast?"

"I fail to see how that applies to driving your car. But since you are so worried, it doesn't have to be in the batmobile. I'm easy to please. A Porsche would work just as well."

"I'll keep that in mind."

He walked over to the solitary chair before the computer screen and motioned for her to sit in it. The bright yellow of her dress made a sharp contrast with the black of the chair and even more so with the darkness of the cave, which had never seen the light of day. But Diana seemed right at home. She spun slowly in the chair, lifting her feet slightly off the ground as she took in a 360 degree view of the Batcave.

"That's actually a new chair."

"Really?"

"I broke my last one."

"Doing what?"

"Clark came down here to warn me off from dating you--"

"I knew it!" She planted her feet, stopping to look at him. "You kicked your chair?"

Bruce nodded his head, grinning sheepishly.

"I'm glad you didn't listen to him."

Bruce leaned in towards her, and Diana closed her eyes, expecting more of what had become her favorite pastime. In Man's World she had often heard that it was possible to have too much of a good thing, but the author of that phrase had clearly never kissed Bruce.

The warmth of his fingers at her neck was replaced with something cold.

She fingered the delicate chain and charm of her necklace. "I thought you were going to make me work for it."

"You've worked hard enough." His voice was deep and gruff, and his eyes were focused on her with an intensity that she had come to associate with Batman. But there was no coldness or anger in his gaze, just sincere admiration and tenderness.

The joy she was experiencing went down deep. Her face could hardly contain the triumph and elation she felt at being loved by him. Unshed tears began to form, making the blue of her eyes impossibly bright.

Trying to downplay the moment, Diana said, "Thank you, though part of me was hoping you _would _make me work for it."

"You wanted me to make you kiss me for it?"

"A little."

He shook his head in disbelief. "You're insatiable."

"Lucky for you."

The smirk on his face told her he felt the same way.

"I think it's time to go back upstairs."

"What about the rest of the Batcave?"

"You'll be coming back."

Bruce knew the words were loaded. It wasn't just an affirmation that their relationship would continue, but that, in time, he would allow her to help him keep Gotham in line. He was going to share everything with her, including his city.

Bruce could tell the full meaning of his words weren't lost on her, though all she did was grab his hand.

Bruce pulled her from the chair and together they walked back into the Manor.

After giving her a cursory tour of the rest of his home, they settled on one of the couches in his study, the portrait of his parents hanging above them.

"How did you find out about my alter ego?"

"It happened at that charity ball you gave. You blushed, just like you did in Gorilla City. It was very cute."

Bruce glared at her. "I did not blush. And even if I had, I don't see how that would give it away."

"Yes, you did. But even if you hadn't," she counted on her fingers as she rattled off the other indicators, "Similar build, height, and way of moving. Same jaw and mouth. Both from Gotham. And I felt the same physical attraction towards you that night that I had towards Batman. I don't think I need to tell you how rare that is for me…And when I read about Bruce Wayne on the internet, it made even more sense."

"When you googled me, I just thought you had a silly crush on Wayne. I can't believe I didn't see this. All the signs were there."

"I guess I'm just too smart for you."

"I don't know about that, but you are certainly too good for me."

"If you aren't careful, Bruce, I will begin to think that you are growing humble."

"Enjoy it while it lasts. I'm sure it will pass."

"Good. I like your arrogance."

"Just like your Mr. Darcy, huh?"

Diana laughed. "Yes! He reminds me of you, actually."

"No wonder. Dark, brooding, and handsome. And unbelievably rich and charming."

"Yes. Mr. Darcy and you are both very wealthy."

He leaned in towards her, a playful grin on his lips. "There isn't anything else we have in common?"

"Well, I always pictured him with dark hair too."

"I seem to recall him being your idea of Mr. Right."

Diana's brow wrinkled as if in deep thought, but he could see her mouth twitch as he pulled her closer to him. "Are you sure? Perhaps you could help me remember."

The sound of Diana's laughter filled the room as Bruce granted her request.

* * *

Bruce looked over his city from its highest point. Grown accustomed to the dizzying heights years ago, he didn't give a second thought to the thousand feet that separated him from the ground. The sky was beginning to lighten, signifying that his nightshift was coming to a close.

Rewarding himself for the successful patrol, Bruce let his mind wander to the events of earlier in the day.

It hadn't taken very long for Diana to admit just how right she thought he was for her. The sense of gratification from that knowledge was still with him, just as strongly as when she had first admitted it.

After that, they spent their time doing nothing in particular. The hours passed quickly before they eventually parted that night with the certainty they had made the right choice—she in pursuing him, and he in accepting her into his life.

He launched himself off the building, allowing the crisp air to clear his head as he hurtled towards the pavement. By the time he glided to the ground, he had almost pushed Diana to the recesses of his mind. As he drove towards the Manor, input data into his computer, showered, trudged up the stairs, and finally laid down in his bed, Bruce forced himself not to think of her. If he did, he'd never get any sleep. With the Watchtower merely a teleport away, the temptation to visit her was great, but Bruce told himself to control the urge. It was late. She was most likely asleep, and he needed his rest too. Besides, he fully expected Diana would make an appearance in his dreams. And if she didn't, they had already made arrangements for her to join him again for lunch.

Bruce drifted off to sleep, looking forward to the day.

* * *

**The End **

**(for reals)**

* * *

A very long author's note:

Wow. Taking a sixth month pause kind of makes this a bit anticlimactic,which it was always going to be anyway since they got together in the last chapter. Does anyone even care anymore, lol? **:D **

I figured I needed an epilogue, because I ended the story a lot faster than I probably should have. I think there was a lot of potential that I let go to waste, but whatever. You live and learn, and I've already been working on my next big project (see below) and applying the lessons I learned in writing Loser (as this story has affectionately been known to me) to it. I probably wasn't ready to write the kind of story this could have turned into anyway, and I am, for the most part, very satisfied with the way it turned out.

I have since learned how to write a chapter (or sections of a chapter) from one person's POV, but since I didn't do it for the rest of the story and you guys didn't seem to mind, I continued that in the epilogue. That problem has been fixed in my current stories (i.e. those written after April 2008). **:D**

It just came to my attention that I might be coming across more negative about this story than I intended. Like anything a person writes, this story has a place in my heart. It would be impossible for it not to, seeing as how I invested a lot of time and thought into it. But I'm not the type of person to sit and dwell on something for too long. I like to identify my mistakes, then learn from them. My goal is always to write something better the next time. I don't look for perfection, just consistent improvement. **:D **Onward and upward!**  
**

If I may, I'd like to pimp one of my new stories: Stranger in Paradise. It's my first action fic, set in an AU where Bruce is raised on Themyscira, against the Amazons' wishes, after his parents' deaths. It's also an origins story for Batman, as well as Wonder Woman, with a heavy Greek mythology influence. I really do enjoy exploring the inner workings of the characters, but it is hard to do so without something prompting a change in their thoughts and motivations. In Loser it was a play, a fire, and a bad dream. But those really weren't joined together in a coherent way. I shoehorned them into the plot (seriously, who would show Hamlet at a children's festival? I know I wouldn't, lol) because I needed something to propel Bruce and Diana forward, but things were still slow moving. Hopefully in Stranger, I have found a better harmony between character and plot development.

Anyway, thanks for your patience and for reading and reviewing. You made this fun, though laborious process, that much more enjoyable. **:D**

* * *

To my anonymous reviewers (who don't leave email addresses)...

steelelf: it isn't a sequel, but hopefully an epilogue is good enough. Better late than never, I suppose. Thanks for waiting. **:D**

Temple: Awww. Thank you. One of my biggest worries is if I keep them in character. I think sometimes I give into the temptation to mirror them in my own image, or some ideal I want people in general to live up to. But I'm learning the benefits to seeing things through a character's lenses rather than putting my views on them. It's a fun writing exercise and helps you see your own ideas through the eyes of another. I still have a bit to go, but I'm trying. **:D** I'm sorry I didn't really provide Alfred's thoughts in this chapter. In short, he's thrilled (shameless plug: if you read Stranger, you will get to see more of Alfred's thoughts as a relationship between Bruce and Diana develops). And as for the matter of their relationship working out...They're BMWW, of course it does! They are meant to be. **:D** I suppose the sequel to this is Starry Nights and The Issue at Hand. But I wrote them before this story, and they're kind of schmoopy. I kind of undertook this story, wanting it to explain how the BMWW in my other stories came to be. With the exception of a handful of my stories, everything else can be looked upon as leading up to this story or following it. Thanks for your review.

Camelotlady: Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. **:D**

Jypsee: Thank you. I hope you like the ending and that it meshes with the tone of the rest of the story.

d; hi there! Sorry about the abrupt ending. Always leave them wanting more, or so they say. LOL, actually, I just wanted to finish the stupid thing. I had made a decision to give up fanfiction for a few months, and didn't want this hanging over my head. Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the journey. Hopefully you will find this ending more satisfying. **:D**

Jackie- Not only am I very much aware of them kissing in Trinity, I own that graphic novel. **:D** And JLA: The Obsidian Age Book Two, which has more BMWW smooching. And JLA Issue 90. LOL, I'm a dork, but I'm a happy one. Now if they would only go back to that. Geez, I wish DC would employ me to write their stories. It's probably better they don't. It would be all BMWW all the time.

LJP- hi again! It makes me happy knowing you are happy. And that Bruce is happy with Diana. **:D **I know I shouldn't let it bother me so much, since he is a fictional character, afer all, but I hate the idea of someone doing so much good and sacrificing so much and receiving nothing in return. And what makes it even more tragic is that he won't allow himself to have it. I suppose that is what makes BM so honorable and admirable, but at the same time, you want good things to happen to good people. And WW deserves BM too. At least that is my opinion on such matters. **:D**


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